THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


PRESENTED  BY 


Mrs.  Frances  London 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CH'^P^'-  H'Llj 

00013664386 


This  book  is  due  at  the  WALTER  R.  DAVIS  LFBRARY  on 
the  last  date  stamped  under  "Date  Due."  If  not  on  hold  it 
may  be  renewed  by  bringing  it  to  the  library. 

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The  Davis  Memorial  Volume 


DEAD      PRESIDENT, 


JEFFERSON  DAVIS, 


AND   THE 


WORLD'S  TRIBUTE  TO  HIS  MEMORY 


j.  VVM.  JOXES,  D.I). 


Author  " Reuiiniscciices,   Atiecdotes  atid  Letters  of  Lee, 

Camp,''    "Army  Noi'theri!  Virginia  Aleinoriat  ]'o/iiine,  '  '  &e., 
and  former  Secretary  Southern  Historical  Society. 


Christ  in  the 


ISHED   BY   AUTHORITY   OF   MRS.    DAVIS. 


iAi 


/? 


CHICAGO,  I-..S.  A.: 
li  Dominion  Company.  Pi'r.i.isiiia< 
18^7. 


Copyright— 1,S,SQ— by  B.  F.  JOHNSON  &  CO. 


TO 

THE  NOBLE  MATRON,  MRS.  VARINA  HOWELL  DAVIS, 

WHOSE  FITTEST   EULOGY   IS  THAT    SHE   WAS    WORTHY    TO   GRACE   THE    HOME 

AND  BRING  SUNSHINE  INTO  THE  LIFE  OF 

3cffcvson  JSauis, 

THIS  VOLUME,  WHICH  WAS  UNDERTAKEN  BY  HER  KIND  ENCOURAGEMENT,  Id 

AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED  BY  ONE  WHO  COUNTS  IT  AN 

HONOR  TO  BE  CALLED  HER  FRIEND. 


1 

I 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/davismemorialvoljone 


V\  PREFACE. 

I  am  under  high  obligations  to  the  newspapers  generally,  and  to  many 
personal  friends  who  have  aided  me  in  my  work,  and  I  regret  that  the 
names  of  those  who  have  given  me  cheerful  assistance  are  too  numer- 
ous to  publish,  and  that  I  must  content  myself  with  this  general 
acknowledgment  of  their  appreciated  favors. 

And  while  the  book  is  in  no  sense  an  attempt  at  a  full  Biography,  it 
is  yet  sent  forth  in  the  hope  that  it  may  shed  much  light  on  the  Life 
and  Character  of  "Our  Dead  President,"  and  may  show  the  world,  and 
teach  future  generations,  what  a  noble  specimen  of  the  Soldier,  States- 
man, Patriot,  Orator,  and  Christian  gentleman  he  was,  and  what  a 
place  he  held  in  the  hearts  of  a  grateful  and  loving  people. 

J.  W.  J. 

Jtlanta,  Ga.,  AprUSd^  1S99, 


INTRODUCTION. 


I  can  think  of  no  better  introduction  to  what  I  may  say  of  the  life 
and  character  of  the  great  chief  of  the  Confederacy  than  to  quote  the 
first  paragraph  of  the  superb  oration  which  he  delivered  at  the  great 
Lee  Memorial  Meeting  held  in  Richmond,  Va.,  on  Thursday  evening, 
November  3d,  1870. 

The  spacious  First  Presbyterian  Church  was  packed  to  its  utmost 
capacity  by  an  audience  composed  largely  of  Confederate  veterans,  who 
gave  Mr.  Davis  such  an  ovation  as  King  or  proudest  conqueror  might 
have  envied,  and  when  the  deafening  cheers  with  which  he  was  greeted, 
as  he  came  forward  to  preside  over  the  meeting,  had  subsided,  he  began 
his  eulogy  on  Lee  by  saying : 

"  Soldiers  and  Sailoi's  of  the  Confederacy^  Countrymen  and  Friends: 

"Assembled  on  this  sad  occasion,  with  hearts  oppressed  with  the  grief 
that  follows  the  loss  of  him  who  was  our  leader  on  many  a  bloody 
battle-field,  there  is  a  melancholy  pleasure  in  the  spectacle  which  is 
presented.  Hitherto,  in  all  times,  men  have  been  honored  when  suc- 
cessful ;  but  here  is  the  case  of  one  who,  amid  disaster,  went  down  to 
his  grave,  and  those  who  were  his  companions  in  misfortune  have 
assembled  to  honor  his  memory.  It  is  as  much  an  honor  to  you  who 
give  as  to  him  who  receives,  for  above  the  vulgar  test  of  merit  you  show 
yourselves  competent  to  discriminate  between  him  who  enjoys  and  him 
who  deserves  success." 

How  appropriate  this  language  to  the  great  gathering  in  New  Orleans, 
and  the  great  gatherings  in  every  citj'',  and  well  nigh  every  town  and 
hamlet  of  the  old  Confederate  States. 

Describing  the  immense  outpouring  of  the  people,  and  the  solemn 
decorum  of  the  vast  crowds  at  the  funeral  in  New  Orleans,  Mr.  F,  D. 
Mussey,  of  the  Cincinnati  Commercial  Gazette,  said,  in  his  report  to 
that  paper  :  "The  funeral  of  General  Grant  was  a  magnificent  piece  sec 
on  the  stage,  but  this  was  a  spontaneous  outpouring  of  the  hearts  of  a 
grateful  people." 

And  so  it  was.  The  man  who  had  led  his  people  in  an  unsuccessful 
struggle  for  independence  died  with  a  place  in  their  hearts  which  no 
victor  ever  had. 

How  can  we  account  for  this  ?  I  suppose  that  one  way  of  accounting 
for  it  is  to  say  that  the  intelligent  people  of  our  Southland  have  long 


Viil  INTRODUCTION. 

since  repudiated  the  fallacy  that  "success  makes  right,"  and  that  this 
is  the  criterion  by  which  to  judge  a  cause. 

One  of  the  finest  replies  that  I  have  ever  heard  was  that  given  by  the 
late  Bishop  J.  P.  B,  Wilmer,  of  Louisiana,  when  some  old  friends  of 
his  in  Philadelphia  were  twitting  him  about  the  failure  of  the  Confed- 
eracy, and  claiming  that  this  proved  that  he  was  wrong  in  leaving  his 
pastorate  in  Philadelphia  to  cast  his  lot  with  his  beloved  South. 

'•  We  told  you  that  you  were  wrong,"  said  they ;  "  and  now  see  how 
it  has  been  proven  that  we  were  right.    Look  at  the  result." 

'*  I  see  and  keenly  feel  the  result,"  said  the  Bishop  ;  "  but  I  do  not  see 
that  that  proves  anything  as  to  who  was  right  and  who  was  wrong  in 
that  great  contest." 

"Why  the  conclusion  is  perfectly  obvious,  and  we  wonder  that  you 
do  not  see  it.  The  Confederacy  was  overwhelmed,  and  was,  of  course, 
wrong  in  attempting  to  establish  her  independence,"  they  confidently 
replied. 

"  1  cannotsee  it  in  that  light,"  rejoined  the  Bishop,  "  and  I  think  that 
I  can  illMstrate  it  so  as  to  show  even  you  the  fallacy  of  your  position. 
Suppose  that  you  and  I  were  to  get  into  a  heated  discussion  concerning 
some  point  in  theology,  and  were  to  so  far  forget  ourselves  that  words 
should  come  to  blows.  Now  you  are  a  much  stronger  man  than  I  am 
physically  ;  but  suppose  that  you  were  to  send  out  and  get  a  burly  Irish- 
man, a  big  Dutchman,  and  a  strapping  negro,  and  that  all  four  of  you 
should,  after  a  hard  struggle,  succeed  in  throwing  me  down  and  tieing 
me,  would  that  prove  that  you  were  right,  and  that  I  was  wrong  ?  Now 
the  North,  much  stronger  physically  than  the  South,  had  not  only  the 
burly  Irishman,  and  the  big  Dutchman,  and  the  strapping  negro,  but 
they  had  the  rest  of  the  world  from  which  to  recruit  their  armies,  and 
after  a  four  years'  struggle,  which  shook  the  continent,  they  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  compelling  us  'to  yield  to  overwhelming  numbers  and  re- 
sources,' and  furl  forever  our  tattered  battle-flag.  Does  that  prove  that 
you  were  right  and  we  were  wrong  in  the  contest  ?  Away  with  any 
such  absurd  doctrine." 

And  so  our  Confederate  people  have  not  looked  upon  Mr.  Davis  as  the 
unsuccessful  leader  of  a  wrong  cause,  but  as  one  who  bravely,  heroically, 
and  patiently,  stood  for  country,  God,  and  truth,  as  he  was  given  to  see 
it,  and  died  a  noble  martyr  for  his  people. 

But  Jefferson  Davis's  claim  to  a  place  in  the  hearts  of  his  people  does 
not  by  any  means  rest  on  his  services  to  the  Confederacy.  As  a  young 
soldier  on  the  frontier  and  in  Indian  wars  he  had  illustrated  the  high- 
est type  of  the  young  officer  which  the  United  States  Military  Academy 
at  West  Point  sent  out  in  its  palmiest  days  ;  as  colonel  of  the  gallant 
Mississippi  regiment  he  had  won  imperishable  glory  on  the  fields  of 
Mexi**©,  and  contributed  no  insignificant  part  towards  planting  the 


INTRODUCTION.  fx 

"stars  and  stripes"  on  the  -walls  of  the  Montezumas; as  representative 
of  his  State  in  the  halls  of  Congress  he  had  been  the  peer  of  the  greatest 
in  the  House  and  in  the  Senate,  even  though  there  "  were  giants  in 
those  days  ;"  as  Secretary  of  War  he  had  proven  himself  the  ablest  the 
country  has  ever  had,  and  had  introduced  reforms  which  are  even  now 
blessing  the  department  and  the  service,  which  have  refused  to  honor 
him  dead  ;  as  a  popular  orator  and  able  debater  he  had  few  equals  and 
scarcely  any  superior — even  in  this  land  of  orators  ;  and  as  a  chivalric, 
stainless,  Christian  gentleman,  and  an  incomparable  patriot,  he  won 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him,  and  has  left  behind  a 
record  of  which  his  people  are  justly  proud. 

Besides  all  this,  he  suffered  in  the  room  of  his  people,  went  to  prison 
for  them,  had  indignity  put  upon  him,  and  was  hated,  slandered,  mal- 
treated and  ostracised  in  the  land  he  had  served  so  faithfully— all  for 
them.  No  wonder,  then,  that  the  people  in  our  Southland  loved  Jef- 
ferson Davis  ;  that  they  felt  the  deepest  interest  in  all  that  concerned 
him,  as  he  spent  the  evening  of  his  days  in  his  home  beside  the  Gulf ;  that 
they  watched  with  breathless  interest  the  news  of  his  sickness  ;  that 
there  was  mourning  in  palace  and  cottage  alike  when  the  wires  flashed 
the  tidings  of  his  death,  and  that  immense  crowds  attended  his  funeral ; 
that  memorial  services  were  held  and  eloquent  eulogies  pronounced  in 
every  city,  town  and  village  in  the  South  ;  and  that  now  the  people  are 
profoundly  interested  in  everything  concerning  his  life,  his  character, 
his  death,  or  his  funeral  obsequies. 

In  a  speech  delivered  in  Atlanta  during  the  visit  of  Mr.  Davis,  at 
the  unveiling  of  the  monument  of  his  friend,  B.  H.  Hill,  in  May,  1886, 
the  gifted  and  lamented  Henry  W.  Grady,  in  his  own  matchless  elo- 
quence, spoke  of  "Jefferson  Davis,  the  uncrowned  King  of  his  people." 
Thank  God,  he  is  no  longer  "  uncrowned."  His  people  have  crowned 
him  with  loving  hearts,  and  redeemed  by  the  blood  of  that  Saviour  in 
whom  he  humbly  trusted,  he  has  come  off  "  conqueror — aye,  more  than 
conqueror,"  and  the  Captain  of  our  Salvation  has  given  him  ''palms  of 
victory  "  and  a  "crown"  of  rejoicing — 

"  That  crown  with  peerless  glories  bright, 
Which  shall  new  lustre  boast 
When  victor's  -syreaths  and  monarch's  gems 
Shall  blend  in  common  dust." 


A     /^^^I^P/     /^^tZ^       ^H^^3^      /2^^&-^     ^  ^/^^,.^^^.<L^^    ^,^t^^  ^ 


-/- 


^a_-^Zlt7 


FAC-SIMTLE  OF  A  LETTER  RECEIVED  BY  Dr.  JONES  FROM  Mrs.  DAVIS. 


CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTION, 

Tribute  xo  the  Leader  of  a  "Lost  Cause  " — He  Lives  in  the  Hearts  of  a  Grateful  People — 
Success  does  not  make  Right,  nor  Failure  Wrong— BisliopWilmer's  Retort— Mr. 
Davis  True  to  Country,  God  and  Truth— Soldier,  Statesman,  Orator,  Patriot, 
Christian  Gentleman,  Martyr,  He  is  no  Longer  an  "  Uncrowned  King"of  His  Peo- 
ple  tfiitt«ft«><><<>. vii-iz 


PART  I. 

Outline  of  the  Life  and  Character  of  Jefferson  Davis. 

chapter  l 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  JEFFEBSON  Davis.— Birth— Boyhood— College  Student— Cadet  at 
West  Point — Young  OfBcer — Marriage— Cotton  Planter — Member  of  Congress- 
Enters  Mexican  War  as  Colonel  of  Mississippi  Rifles— Monterey — Buena  Vista— 
In  the:  United  States  Senate— Candidate  for  Governor— Secretary  of  War  under 
President  Pierce— Again  Elected  to  the  Senate,  and  Service  until  February  18, 
1861— Farewell  to  the  Senate— Election  as  President  of  the  Southern  Confede- 
racy— Service  through  the  War— Capture— Imprisonment — Release  on  Bond— Resi- 
dence in  Canada— Visit  to  Europe— Life  at  Beauvoir. 27-42 

CHAPTER  II. 

Birth  and  Early  Life.— His  Devotion  to  Kentucky— Gift  of  His  Birthplace  as  the  Site 

of  a  Church— His  Speech  at  the  Dedication  of  the  Church 43-44 

CHAPTER  IIL 

The  College  Boy.— At  Transylvania  University— Reminiscences  of  His  Old  College- 
mate,  General  George  W.  Jones,  of  Iowa — Recollections  of  Judge  Peters,  of  Mt. 
Sterling,  Ky 46-64 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  West  Point  Cadet.— Appointed  by  President  Monroe,  through  Secretary  Calhoun— 
Recollection  of  a  Fellow-Cadet— List  of  His  Class— Sketch  of  Some  of  His  Fellow- 
Cadets  who  were  Afterwards  Distinguished 55-8-3 


XU  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Young  Officer.— Second  Lieutenant  in  the  Sixth  and  then  in  the  First  Infan- 
try—Reporting for  Duty  to  Major  Riley— The  Black  Hawk  War— Severe  Tsst  of 
Loyalty  to  Principle— First  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant  of  the  First  Cavalry— Mar- 
riage to  Miss  Taylor,  Daughter  of  General  Zachary  Taylor— Not  a  Runaway  Mar- 
riage. . , 59-62 

CHAPTER  VL 
In  Retirement.— Briarfleld— Death  of'His  Wife— Wide  Reading  and  Profound  Study.  .  &3-64 

CHAPTER  VIL 

His  Entrance  into  Politics.— Candidate  for  the  Legislature— His  own  Account  of  His 
Discussion  with  S.  S.  Prentiss— Defeated— Democratic  Elector  in  1844— His  Second 
Marriage  to  Miss  Varina  Howell— Election  to  Congress  where  He  took  his  Seat  in 
December,  1845— His  Brilliant  Career  in  the  House. ,  ,  , 66-70 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Mexican  War.— In  Favor  of  the  Annexation  of  Texas— Speech  on  Resolutions  of 
Thanks  to  General  Taylor  and  His  Army— He  Resigns  His  Seat  in  Congress  to 
Accept  the  Command  of  the  First  Mississippi  Rifles— His  Rigid  Discipline— His 
Distinguished  Services  at  Monterey— One  of  the  Commissioners  to  Receive  tne 
Surrender  of  the  City— Adventure  of  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  and  Colonel  Davis— 
Buena  Vista— The  Hero  of  the  Day— Description  of  Hon.  J.  F.  H.  Claiborne— Gen. 
Taylor's  Report— Col.  Davis's  own  Report — Hon.  Caleb  Cushing's  Mention  of  the 
"V  Movement"— Account  of  Gen.  A.  H.  Colquitt— "  Steady  Mississippians" — His 
Return  Home  and  Enthusiastic  Reception- Refuses  a  Commission  as  Brigaditr- 
General  because  He  thought  the  President  had  no  Legal  Right  to  Confer  the  Com- 
mission   71-102 

CHAPTER  IX. 

In  the  United  States  Senate. — Appointed  by  the  Governor  and  Approved  by  the 
People— The  Peer  ot  "The  Giants"— John  Quincy  Adams's  Opinion— Dyer's  Esti- 
mate in  His  "  Great  Senators  of  the  United  States  "—Pen-Picture  of  "The  South- 
ern Triumvirate,"  Davis,  Hunter,  and  Toombs— Recollections  of  the  Old  Stenogra- 
pher of  the  Senate,  E.  V.  Murphy— Estimate  of  Prescott,  the  Historian— Estimate 
of  Frank  IL  Alfriend— Sketch  of  the  New  Orleans  "  Times-Democrat  "—Mr. 
Davis's  Own  Modest  Account 103-130 

CHAPTER  X. 

■^ECRETAr-Y  OF  WAR  UNDER  FRANKLIN  PiERCE.— Rcluctant  Acceptance  of  the  Position- 
Thorough  Qualifications— Able  Administration— Important  RefoiTns  and  New 
Measures— The  Officering  of  the  Two  New  Regiments— A  Brilliant  Galaxy— Recol- 
lections of  Judge  James  A.  Campbell,  of  Philadelphia,  who  was  in  the  Cabinet 
with  Mr.  Davis— His  Own  Account  of  His  Administration  of  the  War  Depart- 
ment—The  Degeneracy  of  the  Administration  since  Mr.  Davis's  Day 131-142 

CHAPTER  XL 

Again  in  the  United  States  Senate.— Mississippi  Retmns  Him  to  the  Senate — Diffi- 
culties and  Dangers  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  Administration— Mr.  Davis's  Able  and 
Patriotic  Efforts  to  Avert  Sectional  Issues— Letter  to  Senator  Pearce,  of  Maryland— 


CONTENTS.  xili 

His  Opposition  to  "  Squatter  Sovereignty  "  and  Debates  with  Senator  S.  A.  Doug- 
las—Mr. Alfriend's  Contrast  between  Davis  and  Douglas— His  Keceptlon  and 
Speech  In  Portland.  Maine— At  Faneuil  Hall,  Boston— Introduction  of  General 
Caleb  Gushing— Mr.  Davis's  Great  Speech— Speech  in  New  York— Reply  to  an  Invi- 
tation to  a  "  Webster  Birthday  Festival  "—His  States'  Rights  Resolutions— Conclu- 
sion of  His  Reply  to  Mr.  Douglas— Not  an  Aspirant  for  the  Nomination  for  Presi- 
dent— Efforts  to  Heal  the  Breach  and  Solidify  the  Opposition  to  Lincoln  ....  14S-195 

CHAPTER  XIL 

E  :s  Efforts  to  Preserve  the  Union.— Not  a  "  Secession  Conspirator  "—His  Devotion  to 
the  Union— His  Own  Summary  of  the  Events  which  Led  up  to  the  Final  Catastro- 
phe—Letter of  November  10th,  1860,  to  Hon.  R,  B.  Rhett,  Jr.— Conference  with  the 
Governor  of  Mississippi  and  the  Mississippi  Delegation  in  Congress— He  is  Consid- 
ered "too  Slow  "—Letter  from  Hon,  0.  R.  Singleton— He  Favored  the  "  Critten- 
den Compromise" — Close  of  an  Eloquent  Speech— No  "  Cabal  of  Southern  Sena- 
tors"—Conclusive  Vindication  of  Mr.  Davis  by  Hon.  C.  C.  Clay— Letter  of  January 
20th,  1861,  to  ex-President  Franklin  Pierce— His  "  Farewell  to  the  Senate  "  January 
21st,  1861 196-222 

CHAPTER  XIIL 

"Was  Davis  a  Traitor?"- Reader  Referred  to  Authorities— Able  Statement  of  the 
Case  by  Benjamin  J.  Williams,  of  Massachusetts- Clear  and  Conclusive  Paper  by 
Commodore  Mathew  F.  Maury— The  "Botetourt  Resolutions  "  by  Judge  John  J. 
Allen— The  Secession  of  Virginia— A  Reply  to  Mr.  Bossiter  Johnson  by  J.  Wm. 
Jones— Letter  of  Mr.  Davis  to  the  North  Carolina  Centennial  Co-nmittee— The 
Great  Oration  of  Senator  John  W.  Daniel  Before  the  Virginia  Legislature  .  .  ,  £23-300 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Beginning  of  the  War.— Major-General  and  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Mississippi 
Forces— President  of  the  Confederacy— Inaugural  Address— The  Confederate  Cabi- 
net—Confederate Commissioners  to  Washington—"  Faith  as  to  Sumter  fully  kept"— 
Perfidy  of  the  Washington  Government—"  Who  Fired  the  First  Gun?"— Immense 
Odds  Against  the  Confederacy  In  Both  Numbers  and  Resources— Statistics  Showing 
this— Removal  to  Richmond— The  '*  White  House  of  the  Confederacy"— First  Battle 
of  JIanassas— Mr,  Davis  on  the  Field- His  Dispatch— His  order  to  Advance— His 
Election  as  President  of  the  "  Permanent  Government  "—His  Inaugural  Address. 

301-324 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Theeb  Years  of  Carnage.— Victories  and  Disasters— Incident  given  by  Gen.  Richard 
Taylor— Promotion  of  Gen.  Pender— Mr.  Davis  to  Gen.  Albert  Sidney  Johnston- 
Gen,  Jonnstons  Reply— Col.  Jack's  Account  of  His  Interview  with  Mr.  Davis— 
Another  Letter  to  Gen  Johnston — Mr.  Davis's  Message  to  Congress  on  the  Battle  of 
Shiloh  and  Death  of  Albert  Sidney  Johnston— Letters  of  Gen.  Lee  to  Mr.  Davis  and 
Mr.  Davis  to  Gen.  Lee  after  Gettysburg— Recollections  of  United  States  Senator 
John  H.  Reagan— S;)eech  of  Hon,  Geo.  Davis,  Confciderate  Attorney-General^ 
Reminiscences  of  Ex-Governor  F.  R.  Lubbock,  Member  cf  the  President's  Staff— 
The  Conduct  of  the  War-Treatmentof  Prisoners— Discussion  Between  Hon.  James 
Blaine  and  Hon.  B.  H.  Hill— The  Question  Discussed  and  Points  Established  in 
Southern  His'.oriCi—  ocjciety  Papers— Proud  Record  of  the  Confederacy  on  the  Con- 
duct of  the  War— Prof.  Worsely's  poem  and  Gen.  Lee's  Reply— Gen.  Sherman's 
Charge  and  Mr.  Davis's  Scathing  and  Conclusive  Reply 325-375 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

Close  of  the  War.— Capture  and  Imprisonment.— When  the  Confederacy  was  nearest 
Success— First  Manassas — "Within  a  Stone's  Tlirow  of  Independence  at  Gettys- 
burg "—After  Cold  Harbor,  in  June,  1S64— Did  Mr.  Lincoln thinli  that  "the  Time 
had  Come  for  Negotiation  "  after  Grant's  dismal  Failure  in  the  Campaign  of  1SG4? 
The  "Attrition  "  Campaign  and  its  Results— Army  of  Northern  Virginia  Starved 
in  the  Trenches  and  Frittered  Away,  until  Lee  Had  only  35,000  Men  to  Guard 
Forty  Miles  of  Breastworks,  and  Oppose  140,000  of  Grant's  splendidly  equipped 
Army- Disasters  in  the  South — Mr.  Davis  Calm,  Brave,  Determined— His  Last 
Message  to  Congress— Calmly  and  candidly  States  the  Dangers  and  Perils  of  the 
Country,  but  Expresses  the  Confident  Hope  that  with  Proper  Sacrifice,  Wise 
Measures,  and  Persevering,  Brave  Eflbrt  the  Independence  of  the  Confederacy 
can  still  be  Established— The  Measures  he  Proposes  for  Recruiting  the  Army,  and 
Securing  Needed  Supplies— On  the  Suspension  of  the  Writ  of  Habeas  Corpus— Mt. 
Lincoln's  Proposal  of  "Unconditional  Surrender ''—General  Grant's  Refusal  to 
have  a  "Military  Convention"  Avith  General  Lee  in  Reference  to  Peace— Mr. 
Davis's  eloquent  appeal  to  Congress  and  to  the  Confederacy — Extract  from  a 
Letter  of  President  Davis  to  Governor  Vance,  in  which  he  details  the  measures 
the  Confederate  Government  had  repeatedly  taken  to  secure  peace,  and  shows 
that  unconditional  surrender  was  the  one  condition  of  peace  always  insisted  on  by 
the  Government  at  Washington— President  Davis's  Message  to  Congress  transmit- 
ting the  rcportof  the  commissioners  to  the  Hampjton  Roads  "  Peace  Conference"— 
Report  of  the  Commissioner— The  Telegram  handed  him  in  St.  Paul's  Church  on 
Sunday  morning,  April  2d— Sensational  Stories  Refuted— His  Own  Account  of  what 
Occurred— About  the  rations  Gen.  Lee  wished  placed  at  Amelia  C.  H.— No  fault  of 
Mr.  Davis  nor  of  Commissary-General  St.  John— Headquarters  at  Danville — His 
Proclamation— First  news  of  Lee's  Surrender— His  refusal  of  a  bag  of  gold,  when 
he  had  nothing  but  Confederate  currency— Secretary  Mallory's  account  of  the 
Meetings  of  the  President  and  Cabinet  with  Generals  Johnston  and  Beauregard  at 
Greensboro',  N.  C— Letter  from  Rev.  Dr.  H.  A.  Tupper,  showing  Mr.  Davis's  calm, 
brave  oearing  at  Washington,  Ga.,  when  his  capture  seemed  imminent— His  cap- 
ture— Sensational  slanders  concerning  it  refuted— Statement  of  James  H.  Parker, 
of  Maine,  one  of  his  captors— Account  giten  in  letter  of  Col.  Wm.  Preston  John- 
ston of  his  Staff,  who  was  present— Account  of  Ex-Goveruor  Lubbock,  one  of  his 
Aids,  who  was  also  present- Reference  to  account'of  Postmaster-General  Reagan, 
Attorney-General  George  Davis,  and  President  Davis's  own  account  in  his  book, 
and  m  letters  to  his  old  cadet  room-mate.  Col.  Crafts  J.  Wright— The  Confederate 
Treasure,  and  what  became  of  it— His  Imprisonment  at  Fortress  Monroe— General 
Richard  Taylor's  account  of  his  visit  to  him— Tender,  and  eloquent  address  of 
Rev.  Dr.  Charles  Minnegerode,  Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Richmond,  in  which 
he  gives  deeply  interesting  reminiscences  of  his  friendship  with  Mr.  Davis,  his 
confirmation  and  strong  Christian  character,  his  efforts  to  obtain  the  privilege  of 
visiting  Mr.  Davis  in  prison,  his  final  success,  his  interviews  with  him,  his  com- 
munion with  him,  his  final  release  on  bail,  the  meeting  with  his  family  and 
friends,  prayer  of  thanksgivings,  &c.,  &c.— Efforts  to  hang  him  on  trumped-up 
charges  of  complicity  in  the  assassination,  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  cruelty  to  prison- 
ers—Failure to  "make  out  a  ca.se"— Xolle  prosequi  entered  on  the  charge  of 
"Treason"  because  the  ablest  lawyers  in  the  country  advised  that  it  could  not  be 
sustained 376^27 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
His  Life  Aftep.  th-e  WaPv.— Allusion  1,0  His  Stay  in  Canada,  His  Visits  to  Europe,  His 
Life  in  Memphis,  and  the  Death  there  of  Yellow  Fever  of  His  Son  Jefferson  Davis, 
Jr.— Beauvoir— Vivid  Description  of  the  House,  the   Grounds,  Mr.  Davis,  Mrs. 


CONTENTS.  XV 

Davis,  and  Miss  Winnie,  '  The  Daughter  of  the  Confederacy,"  in  a  Letter  by 
"  Catherine  Cole  "—A  Visit  to  Bcauvoir— President  Davis  and  Family  at  Ilome,  as 
Described  in  a  Letter  by  J.  \Vm.  Jones— Presentation  of  the  Badge  of  Lee  Camp 
Confederate  Veterans,  Richmond,  Va.,  to  "  The  Daughter  of  the  Confederacy  " — 
Governor  Lee's  Presentation,  and  Dr.  J.  Wm.  Jones's  E,csponse  in  Behalf  of  the 
Recipient — Mr.  Davis  Speaks  at  the  Lee  Memorial  Meeting  in  Pachmond  in  Novem- 
ber, 1870,  at  the  Convention  which  Ee-organized  the  Southern  Historical  Society  in 
August,  1S7-1,  at  the  Unveiling  of  the  Stonewall  Jackson  Monument  at  New  Orleans, 
at  the  Great  Southern  Historical  Society  Meeting  there,  at  the  Unveiling  of  the 
Albert  Sidney  Johnston  Monument,  at  the  Laying  of  the  Corner-Stone  of  the  Con- 
federate Monument  at  Montgomery,  at  Atlanta,  Savannah,  Macon,  and  other 
Places— Full  Text  of  Eloquent  and  Conservative  Speech  at  Army  of  Northern  Vir- 
ginia Banquet,  December  6th,  1878,  made  when  Reporters  were  All  Excluded  and 
Never  Before  in  Print— Letter  to  Ladies'  Confederate  Monument  Association  of 
Mississippi — Letter  Correcting  Mistakes  in  Biographical  Sketch  of  Himself— Full 
Text  of  His  Address  Before  the  Mississippi  Legislature,  March  10th,  1SS4,  in  which 
He  Explains  why  He  had  Never  Applied  to  the  United  States  Government  for  a 
Pardon ' .  428^51 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Analysis  of  His  Chaeactek.— The  Christian  Soldier,  Statesman,  Orator  and  Patriot- 
Reminiscences  of  Him  at  First  Manassas— Seven  Days  Around  Richmond— His 
Appearance— A.  P.  Hill  |  Ordering  President  Davis  and  General  Lee  to  the  Rear— 
His  Speech  at  the  Old  African  Church  in  Richmond  after  the  Return  of  the 
"Peace  Commissioners,"  and  Its  Impression — His  the  Speech  at  the  Great  Lee 
Memorial  Meeting— His  Speech  at  the  Unveiling  of  the  Jackson  Monument  in  New 
Orleans— A  Peerless  Orator — As  a  Writer  of  Classic  English— A  Patriot— Hon.  B.  H. 
Hill's  Estimate— Illustrations  of  His  Lack  of  Bitterness  and  Uniform  Courtesy — 
His  Humble,  Evangelical  Piety— A  Specimen  of  His  Fast  Day  Proclamations— A 
Personal  Recollection— A  Tribute  of  Bishop  Kcnner— Incident  Given  by  Senator 
John  H.  Reagan— His  Letter  to  Two  Little  Boys— His  Kind  Treatment  of  His 
Slaves  and  Illustrations  of  their  Devotion  to  Him— Incidents  Told  by  S.  A.  Asha, 
Editor  Raleigh  News  and  Observer 452-468 


PART  II. 

His  Sickness,  Death  and  Funebal  Obsequies,  and  the  World's 
Tribute  to  His  Memory. 


His  Sickness  and  Death— Taken  Sick  at  Briarfield— Brought  to  the  Residence  of  Judge 
Charles  E.  Fenner,  New  Orleans— Description  of  the  House— Mrs.  Davis  His  Con- 
stant Nurse— Her  Account  of  His  Sickness— Better— A  Congestive  Chill  from 
which  He  never  Rallied— Friends  at  His  Bedside— " Pray  Excuse  Me"— The 
End— Profound  Grief  at  His  Death— Editorial  in  the  "  State"— Editorial  Announce- 
ment of  the  "Times-Democrat"— Editorial  in  "City  Item"— The  Day  of  His 
Death  :  Mayor  Shakspcare's  Proclamation— Proclamation  of  Governor  Nioholls— 
Telegrams  of  Condolence  Received  from  All  Quarters  by  Mrs.  Davis— Prepaea- 
TiONS  FOR  the  Funeral  :  Meeting  at  the  Mayor's  Parlor— Remarks  by 
Mayor   Shakspeare,    Associate    Justice    Fenner   and    Others— Letter  to   Gover- 


CONTENTS. 

nor  NichoUs  and  Telegrams  to  the  Southern  Governors— Appointment  of 
Committees— Draping  the  Houses— Descriptions  of  the  Decorations  of  the 
City  Hall— At  the  Tenner  Mansion:  "After  Death"— Mrs.  Davis's  Chris- 
tian Resignation— Crowds  of  Visitors- Touching  Incident  of  the  Old  Slave 
who  Came  to  See  '■  Marse  Jeff."— Removal  of  the  Body:  The  "  Picayune's  " 
Vivid  Description  of  Converting  the  Council  Chamber  into  "  Mortuary  Hall  "— 
The  Cataf?Jque— The  Casket  Removed  from  the  Tenner  Mansion  to  the  City  Hall 
at  Midnight— The  Washington  Artillery  Acting  as  Escort  and  Guard  of  Honor— 
The  cause  of  his  death  •  Interesting  statements  by  Justice  Tenner  and  the 
attending  physicians,  Drs.  Stanford  E.  Chaille,  and  Dr.  Charles  J.  Bickham— 
Lying  in  State  :  Immense  crowds  view  the  body— General  George  W.  Jones,  ot 
Iowa— Commodore  Hunter— Mrs.  AVheat,  the  mother  of  Maj.  Wheat,  of  the  "  Lou- 
isiana Tigers  "—Incidents— Mrs.  Davis  and  Mrs.  Hayes  visit  the  chamber  at  mid- 
night—Mr.  Orion  Trazee  takes  a  death  mask — Telegrams  continue  to  pour  in 
from  every  quarter— The  text  of  many  of  them— Proclamations  from  Governors 
Nicholls  of  Louisiana,  Lowry  of  Mississippi,  Seay  of  Alabama,  Fleming  of 
Florida,  and  Ross  of  Texas— Mrs.  Davis's  graceful  response  to  telegrams  of 
condolence— Estimated  that  150,000  people  viewed  the  body  while  lying  in 
State — The  Times- Democrat  on  the  popular  demonstration  of  respect  and  love 
shown  our  dead  President — Telegraphic  correspondence  between  ]Mayor  Shakspeare 
and  Secretary-of-War  Proctor— Two  Poems— Meeting  of  the  Army  of  Tennessee 
Association— Full  text  of  an  eloquent  eulogy  by  Rev.  Dr.  T.  R.  Markham— Brief 
speeches  made  by  Gen.  Geo.  W.  Jones  of  Iowa,  Gen.  S.  B.  Bucknerof  Kentucky, 
Gen.  T.  T.  Munford  of  Virginia,  Dr.  J.  Wm.  Jones  of  Atlanta,  Gen.  S.  W.  Ferguson 
of  Mississippi,  Gen.  S.  D.  Lee  of  Mississippi,  and  Judge  Walter  H.  Rogers  of  New 
Orleans— The  Floral  Offerings  :  Vivid  description  of  the  Tunes-Democral—ThG 
display  magnificent  in  the  number,  variety,  and  beauty  of  the  de&igns— The  Ke''.^ 
Orleans  Resolutions  :  The  Bench  and  Bar— The  Veteran  Confederate  Cavalry 
Association— The  Board  of  Trade— Law  class  of  Tulane  University— The  Stock 
Exchange — Colored  Citizens — Faculty  of  Tulane  University — Medical  Students  of 
Tulane  University— The  Civil  District  Court— The  City  full  of  Delegations  and 
Visitors  from  every  Quarter — The  Funeral  Obsequies- A  Cloudless  Sky— An 
Immense  Crowd — A  Stream  of  Visitors  to  Jlortuary  Hall  from  7  A.  M.  to  10— The 
Bier  Borne  at  12  O'clock  from  the  Council  Chamber  to  the  Stone  Portico  of  the 
City  Hall — The  Bishops,  the  Clergy,  the  Choristers,  the  Immense  Crowd — The 
Service  Begun— Chaste  and  Eloquent  but  Brief  Address  of  Bishop  John  N.  Galle- 
her— The  Benediction — Father  Hubert's  Prayer — Bearing  the  Remains  to  the 
Funeral  Car — Laid  to  Rest — The  Immense  Procession— The  Services  at  the  Tomb— 
The  Funeral  Procession— The  Organizations  Comprising  the  Six  Divisions  in 
Line—Detailed  List  of  the  Organizations,  Officers,  &c.,  in  Each  Division — At  Met- 
airie— The  Remains  Deposited  in  the  Tomb  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia- 
Full  List  of  Pall-Bearers— Some  Notable  Men  who  were  in  the  Procession— The 
North  Carolina  Delegation— Registered  at  the  Continental  Armory — The  Ken- 
tucky Delegation— Delegation  from  Richmond,  Va.— The  Tennessee  Delegation- 
Large  Delegation  from  Alabama — The  Maryland  Representation — Four  Military 
Companies  and  Over  1,000  Citizens  from  Mississippi— Names— The  Florida  Delega- 
tion—Delegation from  South  Carolina— Ladies'  Memorial  Association  of  Columbia. 
Texas  Delegation— Arkansas— The  Floral  Tribute — Vicksburg's— The  IMisses 
Stringfellow— Lee  Association,  of  Mobile— Florida's— Richmond  Howitzer's— Girls' 
High  School— Louisiana  Rifles— The  Salutes— Battery  B,  Louisiana  Field  Artillery. 
Notes— Floral  Ship  of  State  from  Ladies  of  Dallas,  Texas— Capt.  Jack  White— The 
Davis  Guards— Mass  Meeting  of  the  United  Confederate  Veterans— Address 
of  Gen.  Jno.  B.  Gordon — Vice-Presidents — Resolutions  and  Remarks  of  Gen.  S.  D. 
Lee— Gen.  W.  L.  Cabell — Governor  Lowry,  "the  Soldier-Governor"  of  Mississippi — 
Governor  Fowle,  Governor  Nickolls,  Governor  Buckner,  Governor  Flensing,  Cov- 
entor Eagle.  Governor  Lubbock-  Hon.  J.  Taylor  Ellyson 471-585 


CONTENTS.  XVii 

Vibqinia's  Tribute  :  Proclamation  of  Governor  Fitzhugh  Lee— Proclamation  of  the 
Mayor  of  Richmond — Letters  of  Gen.  Dabncy  IL  Maury  and  Gen.  W.  H.  Payne — 
Memorial  Windows  in  St.  Paul's — Memorial  services  at  the  various  Churches — 
Resolutions  of  the  General  Assembly— Minute  Guns  by  the  Richmond  Howitzers — 
Meeting  at  the  Academy  of  Music— Resolutions— Meeting  of  Jlembers  of  Legislsi- 
ture  to  hear  the  Oration  of  Senator  Daniel— Remarks  of  Hon.  R.  H.  Cardwell, 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Delegates— Norfolk  and  Portsmouth— INIeeting  of  Pickett- 
Puchanan  and  Stonewall  Camp  Confederate  Veterans — Religious  Services — 
"Memorial  Day"  in  Petersburg— Mass  Meeting  at  Opera  House  under  Auspices  of 
of  A.  P.  Hill  Camp  Confederate  Veterans— Resolutions— Letters  of  Mrs.  Davis  to 
the  Mayor  of  Richmond— Lexington— Virginia  IMilitary  Institute  and  Washing- 
ton and  Lee  University— Extract  from  Oration  of  Hon.  J.  Randolph  Tucker — 
Danville— Maury  Camp  of  Fredericksburg— Williamsburg— Other  Points   .  .  .  685-601 

Alabama's  Tribute  :  Montgomery's  Mourning— Editorial  in  the  Montgomery  Advertiser 
Meeting  of  Confederate  Vet  erans— Poem  by  Rev.  Dr.  M.  B .  Wharton— Proclamation 
of  Mayor  Graham— "  Rufus  Sanders"  in  the  ^di'erti'ser— Memorial  Day  in  Mont- 
gomery—Editorial  in  the  Advertiser— Grand  Mass  Meeting  on  December  19th— 
Resolutions— Speeches  by  Gen.  Holtzclaw,  Gov.  AVatts,  Gen.  John  A.  Sanders,  Gen. 
Geo.  P.  Harrison,  and  Capt.  B.  H.  Screws— Extracts  from  speech  of  Gov.  Watts,  the 
old  Attorney-General  of  the  Confederacy— The  Observance  of  the  Day  at  Other 
Points  all  over  the  State 601-607 

Georgia's  Tribute  :  Henry  W.  Grady's  Graceful  and  Touching  Announcement  of  the 
Death  and  Tribute  to  the  Memory  of  "Our  Dead  President  "—Poem  by  Mont- 
gomery M.  Folsom  on  "Davis  is  Dead— The  Message  Read  "—Proclamation  by 
Gov.  Gordon— By  the  Mayor  of  Atlanta— By  Judge  W.  L.  Calhoun,  President  Con- 
federate Veterans— Large  Meetmg  of  Veterans— The  Resolutions— Speeches— Poem 
by  Mrs.  J.  Wm.  Jones  read  at  the  Meeting— Arrangements  to  Raise  Funds  for  the 
Family  and  for  a  Monument— Telegraphic  Correspondence  Between  Col.  John  A. 
Cockrell,  of  the  New  York  World,  and  Henry  W.  Grady,  of  Atlanta— Memorial 
Day  in  Atlanta — A  Procession,  a  Mass  Meeting,  and  addresses  by  Judge  Calhoun, 
Mayor  Glenn,  Rev.  Dr.  Strickler,  Hon.  A.  H.  Cox,  and  Judge  Howard  Van  Epps— 
Grady's  Telegram  from  New  York— Atlanta's  Warm  Tribute  Finds  its  Equal  all 
over  the  State— Augusta's  Tribute — Action  of  the  Confederate  Survivors'  Associa- 
tion—Memorial Day— Oration  of  Col.  Charles  C.  Jones,  Jr.— Extracts  from  His 
Eloquent  Address— Macon's  Tribute— Editorial  in  the  Telegraph— Tribute  of  the 
Veterans— At  the  Churches— Memorial  Day— Editorial  in  Wesleyan  Christian  Advo- 
cate—SaYaunah's  Tribute— In  the  Churches— The  Veterans— Gen.  Henry  R.  Jack- 
son's Brief  but  Eloquent  Tribute— The  Resolutions— Gen.  Lawton  in  Calling  the 
Vast  Crowd  to  Order— The  Prayer— At  Other  Towns  in  Georgia 608-623 

Kentucky's  Tribute  :  In  Louisville— Meeting  of  Confederate  Veterans— Resolutions  by 
Rev.  Dr.  J.  A.  Broadus— Speeches  by  Hon.  H.  W.  Bruce,  Col.  J.  Stoddard  John- 
ston, Maj.  E.  H.  McDonald,  Gen.  Thomas  H.  Taylor,  and  Col.  B.  H.  Young— Edi- 
torial in  the  Courier-Journal— TLditorial  in  Western  Recorder — Elsewhere  in  Ken- 
tucky— At  Paris — At  Lexington— Characteristic  Letter  from  Mr.    Davis — At  Stan- 

,        ford— Offer  of  a  Burial  Place  on  the  Spot  of  His  Birth 62i-629 

Mississippi's  Tribute  :  Throb  of  Mississippi's  Heart  in  Unison  with  the  General  Grief — 
Resolutions  of  the  University  of  Mississippi — Resolutions  from  all  over  the  State — 
Action  ofthe  State  Legislature— Full  report  in  the  Ctono?i— Resolutions — Speeches — 
Mutual  Love  of  Mr.  Davis  and  jMississippi 629-633 

Arkansas's  Tribute  :  Tributes  all  over  the  State — Memorial  Day  at  Little  Rock — Meet- 
ing at  the  State  Capitol— Resolutions— Meetings  at  the  Hot  Springs,  Helena,  and 
Other  Places— Arkansas  no  Whit  Behind  Her  Southern  Sisters  in  Her  Loving 
Tribute 633-636 

Florida's  Tribute  ;  Gov.  Fleming's  Estimate  in  the  N.  Y.  World — Letter  from  Dr.  R. 
B.  Burroughs  of  Jacksonville,  to  Mrs.  Davis,  transmitting  Resolutions — Florida's 
Tribute  not  unworthy  Her  Gallant  "Men  in  Gray" 635-637 


XVlll  CONTENTS. 

Maeyland's  Tribute  :  Gallant  Mary  landers  in  the  Confederate  Army  and  Loyal  Hearts 
at  Home— Their  Tribute  to  Their  Chief— " Memorial  Day"  in  Baltimore — The 
-  Meeting  at  the  Armory  of  the  Fifth  JIaryland  Eegiment— The  Gflicers— Prayer  by 
Rev.  Dr.  (Confederate  Captain)  MeKim— Speeches  by  Mayor  Davidson,  Col.  D.  G, 
Mcintosh,  Col.  Charles  Marsh&ll,  Gen.  Bradley  T.  Johnson,  Rev.  Dr  W.  U.  Murk- 
land,  and  Hon.  S.  Teackle  Wallis— Extracts  from  the  Conclusion  of  Col.  Mcin- 
tosh's Speech,  and  Major  Hall's  Memorial— Tribute  of  Lieutenant  Winfield  Peters 
and  Eloquent  Speech  of  Hon.  T.  R.  Stockdale,  of  Mississippi,  at  the  Confederate 
Reunion  and  Banquet  January  20th,  1890— Johns  Hopkins  University,  'Westem 
College  of  Maryland,  Lady  Visitors  of  the  Confederate  Home,  and  Others,  Swell 
Maryland's  Tribut  e 637-640 

North  Carolina's  Teiel'te:  The  Governor,  in  His  Proclamation  and  Speech,  Voices 
the  Feeling  of  the  "  Old  North  State  "—A  Meeting  at  Metropolitan  Hall,  Raleigh- 
Gov.  Fo'i\le's  Telegram  to  the  New  York  World — Memorial  Day  in  Raleigh  and  an 
Eloquent  Eulogy  by  Rev.  Dr.  AVatkins— At  Other  Places  in  the  State— Honor  from 
the  Jilen  -who  Followed  Him  in  War 640-64';! 

South  Carolina's  Tribute  :  Action  of  the  Legislature — Brief  but  Eloquent  Speech,  by 
Col.  McKissick— Charleston's  Tribute — The  Mayor's  Proclamation — Various  Meet- 
ings and  Resolutions — Great  Meetings  on  Memorial  Day  and  Speeches  by  CoL 
Zimmerman  Davis,  Maj.  T.  G.  Barker,  Gen.  B.  H.  Rutledge,  Rev.  Dr.  Thompson, 
Gen.  McCrady.  Rev.  R.  C.  Holland,  Col.  Henry  E.  Young,  and  Mr.  J.  P.  K.  Bryan— 
The  Day  in  Columbia,  Greenville,  Kewberry,  and  Other  Points  all  over  the 
State 64&-64t 

Tennessee's  Tribute  :  IMemphis  once  the  Home  of  Jlr.  Davis— Her  Loving  Tribute — 
Resolutions— Memorial  Day  in  the  Churches— 3Iass  Meeting  at  the  Theatre- 
Speeches — Poem  by  Mrs.  Boyle — The  Resolutions — Decking  ^vith  Flowers  the 
Grave  of  Jefferson  Davis,  Jr.— At  Nashville— Elder  Lin  Cave,  the  Orator— At  Other 
Points  in  the  State 646-64B 

Texas's  Tribute  :  Prairie  Flowers  on  His  Bier— Galveston's  Tribute — Dallas— Austin— 
At  Other  Towns— An  Enthusiastic  and  Loving  Tribute— A  Poem  by  Mrs.  Mary 
Mitchell  Brown 618-645 

Miscellaneous:  Resolutions  Received  by  Mrs.  Davis— Editorials  in  Northern  and 
English  Papers — N.  Y.  Examiner — N.  Y.  Sun — N.  Y.  Times — Advance  Thought,  New 
York— London  Globe— Daily  Telegraph— YhileLdclTphia.  Times— y.  Y.  iZeraZd.— Con- 
clusion—Address  by  Rev.  Dr.  S.  A.  Goodwin,  of  Richmond— Poem  by  Father  A. 
'^^BPIftyan 650-662 

Address  of  Hon.  J.  A.  P.  Cajipbell  before  the  Mississippi  Legislature  ......  663-67: 


PUBLISHER'S  NOTICE. 


rnHE  PUBLISHERS  have,  at  great  expense,  and  by  exercis- 
1  ing  unusual  care  and  patience,  succeeded  in  securing  a  large 
number  of  beautiful  and  attractive  illustrations  for  the  Davis 
Memorial  Volume,  many  of  which  are  of  rare  historical  value. 
We  are  greatly  indebted  to  W.  L.  Sheppard,  whose  intimate 
acquaintance  and  association  with  many  of  the  characters  and 
scenes  presented  in  the  book  enabled  him  to  not  only  draw  for 
us  many  striking  and  interesting  pictures,  but  to  make  sugges- 
tions that  were  exceedingly  helpful  to  other  artists  engaged  in 
preparing  the  illustrations  for  the  book.  Mr.  W.  W.  Davies, 
of  the  Lee  Gallery,  Richmond,  Virginia,  also  places  us  under 
lasting  obligations  to  him  by  furnishing  us  many  photographs 
taken  during  and  soon  after  the  war.  We  would  note  specially 
the  Grand  Jury,  and  Petit  Jury,  Members  of  Mr.  Davis's.,,#afei- 
net,  photograph  of  Mrs.  Davis  in  full  dress,  with  the  aid  of 
which  Mr.  Sheppard  was  enabled  to  draw  the  charming  pic- 
ture entitled  "  A  Reception  at  the  White  House  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Davis."  The  originals  of  these  and  other  photographs 
used  in  illustrating  the  book  are  now  in  possession  of  Mr. 
Davies,  of  the  Lee  Gallery,  and  copyrighted  by  us  in  producing 
this  work. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Pago. 

^FRONTISPIECE.— Steel  Portrait  op  Mr.  Davis,  from  a  pho- 
tograph, taken  about  the  close  of  the  war.  Engraved 
by  Illman  Bros 4 

Plate  II. — Letter  from  Mrs.  Davis  to  Dr.  Jones,  authori- 
zing the  publication  of  the  Memorial  Volume  ...      10 

III. — St.  Paul's  Church,  Richmond,  Va.,  where  Mr. 
Davis  worshiped — Washington  Monument  in  the 
foreground 45 

IV. — Battle  of   the  Bad  Axe.    Scene  in  the  Black 

Hawk  War.    W.  L.  Sheppard 61 

V. — Briarfield.    J.  D.  Woodward 65 

VI. — Young  Davis  Leading  his  Command  at  Monte- 
rey, Mexico.    Gilbert  Gaul 81 

VII.— Davis  and  Johnston  Negotiating  with  Ampu- 

DIA.    W.  L.  Sheppard 85 

VIII. — "Steady,  Mississippians."    W.  L.  Sheppard  ...    101 

IX. — The  Confederate  Capitol 105 

X. — The  White  House  of  the  Confederacy 125 

XL— Jefferson  Davis,  Jr.  Died  at  Memphis,  Tenn., 
of  yellow  fever.  From  a  photograph  furnished  by 
Mrs.  Davis 145 

XII.— Mr.  and  Mrs.  Addison  L.  Hayes 167 

XIII.— Mrs.  Hayes's  four  Children  and  Nurse  ....    177 

XIV.— Jefferson  Hayes  Davis,  aged  five  years    .....    187 

XV.— Farewell  Address  to  the  United  States  Sen- 
ate.    A.  C.  Redwood 217 

XVI. — Members  of  the  First  Confederate  Cabinet  .  .    297 

XVII.— Inaugural  AT  Montgomery.    From  a  photograph.  302 


XXii  IliliUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 
XVIII.— The  Bible  used  in  taking  the  Oath  at  the 

Inaugural.    From  an  old  photograph 307 

XIX.— Mrs.  Davis  in  full  dress  giving  a  Reception 

at  the  "White  House."    W.  L.  Sheppard  .   .   .    313 

XX.— "There  Comes  the  President."    W.  L.  Sheppard  317 

XXI. — Members  of  the  Second  Confederate  Cabinet. 

From  a  photograph  furnished  by  W.  W.  Davies  .   .    323 

XXII.— Davis,  Lee  and  Jackson  in  Council.    W.  L.  Shep- 
pard    ....   325 

XXIII.— Gen.  A.  P.  Hill  ordering  President  Davis  and 

General  Lee  TO  THE  Rear.    W.L.  Sheppard.  .    341 

XXIV.— From  a  Bust  by  Volck.  The  original  now  in  pos- 
session of  W.  W.  Davies,  Lee  Gallery.  The  Con- 
federate ten  cent  postage  stamp  was  designed  from 
this  bust 351 

XXV. — First  Meeting  of  Lee  and  Davis  after  the  War  391 

XXVI.— His  Capture 403 

XXVII.— Parting  with  his  Family.    W.  L.  ShepjDard  ...    411 

XXVIII. — View  of  Fortress  ISIonroe.  Exterior  of  the  case- 
ment ;  inside  view  of  the  casement ;  Revolutionary 
relics.    W.  L.  Sheppard 413 

XXIX.— The  Davis  Bail  Bond.    An  exact  reproduction  .   .    423 

XXX.— In  his  Library.    W.  L.  Sheppard 426 

XXXI. — Mr.  Davis  leaving  the  Court-room.  W.  L.  Shep- 
pard   427 

XXXII.— Mrs.  V.  Jefferson  Davis.  From  a  recent  photo- 
graph   434 

SXXIII.— On  the  Veranda  at  Beauvoir.    W.  L.  Sheppard.  437 

XXXIV.— Miss  Winnie  Davis,  "The  Daughter  of  the  Con- 
federacy." From  a  photograph  taken  by  Davis, 
Eichmoud,  Va 442 

XXXV.— Chief  Justice  Chase  and  Judge  Underwood. 
From  original  photographs  taken  at  the  time  by 
W.  W.  Davies,  now  in  possession,  of  Lee  Gallery  .    459 

XXXVI. — Steel  Portrait  of  Mr.  Davis.    From  photograph 

taken  not  long  before  his  death 469 


ILLUSTRATIONS.  XXiii 

Pago. 

XXX VIL-"Pkay,  Excuse  Me."    W.  L.  Sheppard 475 

XXXVIII.— City  Hall,  New  Orleans.    From  a  photograph  .   .    479 

XXXIX. — After  Death.    From  a  photograph 493 

XL. — Bearing  the  Remains  to  the  Funeral  Car  .  .  .    531 

XLI. — The  Tomb  op  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia 

Association  at  Metarie  Cemetery 535 

XLII. — The  Temporary  Interment 537 

XLIII. — The  Grand  Marshal  and  his  Aids 539 

XLIV.— The  Catafalque 543 

XLV. — Council  Chamber,  New  Orleans.    From  a  photo- 
graph     645 

XL VI.— The  Last  Night's  Vigil.    From  a  photograph  .   .    553 

XL VII. — The  Eight  Governors  who  Attended  the  Fune- 
ral.    From  recent  photographs 557 

XL VIII. — Prominent  Confederate  Generals  who  Attend- 
ed THE  Funeral,  most  of  thera  acting  as  pall- 
bearers  . 567 

XLIX.— Mayors  of  Cities,  and  other  prominent  men  in 

attendance  on  the  funeral 577 

L.— Little  Joe  Davis's  Grave.     W.  L.  Sheppard   .  .   5S9 

LI. — House  in  which  the  first  Meeting  op  the  Con- 
federate Cabinet  was  held 601 

LIL— The  Grand  Jury  which  indicted  Mr.  Davts. 
The  first  mixed  jury  ever  impaneled  in  the  South  ; 
the  celebrated  John  Minor  Botts,  of  Virginia,  being 
the  foreman.  From  a  photograph  talien  at  the  time 
in  possession  of  "VV.  W.  Davies,  Lee  Gallery  ....    605 

LIII.— Mr.  Davis's  Residence  in  Montgomery 621 

LIV. — Petit  Jury,  which  was  to  have  tried  him. 
The  second  mixed  jury  ever  impaneled  in  the 
South.  From  a  photograph  in  possession  of  W. 
W.  Davies,  Lee  Gallery 625 

LV.— Beauvoir.     J.  D.  Woodward 631 

LVI.— Discussing  Military  Matters  WITH  Miss  "Winnie. 

W.  L.  Sheppard oil 


PART  1. 


OUTLINE  OF  THE 


Life  and  Character 


PRESIDENT  JEFFERSON  DAVIS. 


L 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  JEFFERSON  DAVIS. 


HE  following  brief  autobiography  of  Mr.  Davis 
appeared  in  the  January,  1S90,  number  of  Belford's 
Magazine,  and  was  dated  "Beauvoir,  ^liss,,  Novem- 
ber, 1SS9,"  having  been  written  but  a  short  time  before  his 
lamented  death.  The  publishers  state  that  it  *'was  dictated 
by  Mr.  Davis  as  he  lay  sick  in  bed  one  morning  at  Beauvoir 
a  few  weeks  before  his  death,  and  was  taken  down  in  short- 
liand  by  a  Northern  guest,  whose  manuscript  was  revised  by 
the  old  statesman  before  it  was  mailed  to  the  Belford  Company, 
who  had  solicited  it  for  a  biographical  cyclopaedia  they  had 
undertaken.'' 

"I  wris  born  June  3,  1808,  in  Christian  county,  Ky.,  in  that 
part  of  it  which,  by  a  subsequent  division,  is  now  Todd  county. 
At  this  lAacG  has  since  arisen  the  village  of  Fairview,  and  on 
the  exact  spot  where  I  was  born  has  been  constructed  the  Bap- 
tist church  of  the  place.  My  father,  Samuel  Davis,  was  a 
native  of  Georgia,  and  served  in  the  war  of  the  revolution,  first 
hi  the  '  mounted  gunmen,'  and  afterward  as  captain  of  infantry 
at  the  siege  of  Savannah.  During  my  infancy  my  father 
removed  to  Wilkinson  county,  Miss.  After  passing  through  the 
county  academy  I  entered  Transylvania  college,  Kentucky,  and 
was  advanced  as  far  as  the  senior  class  when,  at  the  age  of  IG,  I 
was  appointed  to  the  United  States  Military  Academy  at  West 
Point,  which  I  entered  in  September,  1824.  I  graduated  m 
1828,  and  then,  in    accordance  with  the  custom  of  cadets, 

(27) 


28  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  U3IE. 

entered  active  service  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant,  serving  as  an 
officer  of  infantry  on  the  northwsst  frontier  until  1833,  when, 
a  regiment  of  dragoons  having  been  created,  I  was  transferred 
to  it.  After  a  successful  campaigh-^  against  the  Indians,  I 
resigned  from  the  army,  in  1835,  being  anxious  to  fulfill  a  long- 
existing  engagement  with  a  daughter  of  Col.  Zachary  Taylor, 
whom  I  married,  not  '  after  a  romantic  elopement,'  as  has  so 
often  been  stated,  but  at  the  house  of  her  aunt,  and  in  the 
presence  of  many  of  her  relatives,  at  a  place  near  Louisville, 
Ky.  Then  I  became  a  cotton  planter  in  Warren  county.  Miss. 
It  was  my  misfortune,  early  in  my  married  life,  to  lose  my 
wife;  and  for  many  years  thereafter  I  lived  in  great  seclusion 
on  the  plantation  in  the  swamps  of  the  Mississippi.  In  1843 
I  for  the  first  time  took  part  in  the  political  life  of  the  country. 
Next  year  I  w^as  chosen  one  of  the  ^^residential  electors  at  large 
of  the  State,  and  in  the  succeeding  year  was  elected  to  Con- 
gress, taking  my  seat  in  the  House  of  Representatives  in 
December,  1845.  The  proposition  to  terminate  the  joint  occu- 
pancy of  Oregon  and  the  reformation  of  the  tariff  were  the  two 
questions  arousing  most  public  attention  at  that  time,  and  I 
took  an  active  part  in  their  discussion,  especially  in  that  of  the 
first. 

"During  this  period,  hostilities  with  Mexico  commenced,  and 
in  the  legislation  which  the  contest  rendered  necessary  my 
military  education  enabled  me  to  take  a  somewhat  prominent 
part. 

"In  June,  1846,  a  regiment  of  Mississippi  volunteers  was 
organized  at  Vicksburg,  of  which  I  was  elected  colonel.  On 
receiving  notice  of  the  election,  I  jDroceeded  to  overtake  the 
regiment,  which  was  already  on  its  way  to  Mexico,  and  joined 
it  at  New  Orleans.  Reporting  to  General  Taylor,  then  com- 
manding at  Camargo,  my  regiment,  although  the  last  to 
arrive— having  been  detained  for  some  time  on  duty  at  the 
mouth  ot  the  Rio  Grande — was    selected  to  move  with  the 


A  VTOBIOGllAPU  Y.  2d 

advance  upon  the  city  of  Monterey.  The  want  of  transporta- 
tion prevented  General  Taylor  from  taking  the  whole  body  of 
volunteers  who  had  reported  there  for  duty.  The  Mississippi 
regiment  was  armed  entirely  witli  percussion  rifles.  And  here 
it  may  be  interesting  to  state  that  General  Scott,  in  Washing- 
ton, endeavored  to  persuade  me  not  to  take  more  rifles  thar 
enough  for  four  companies,  and  objected  j^articularly  to  per- 
cussion arms,  as  not  having  been  sufficiently  tested  for  the  use 
of  troops  in  the  field.  Knowing  that  the  Mississippians  would 
have  no  confidence  in  the  old  flint-lock  muskets,  I  insisted  on 
their  being  armed  with  the  kind  of  rifle  then  recently  made  at 
New  Haven,  Conn. — the  Whitney  rifle.  From  having  been 
first  used  by  the  .Mississippians  these  rifles  have  always  b^een 
known  as  the  'Mississippi'  rifles. 

"In  the  attack  on  Monterey  General  Taylor  divided  his  force, 
sending  one  part  of  it  by  a  circuitous  road  to  attack  the  city 
from  the  west,  whil3  he  decided  to  lead  in  person  the  attack  on 
the  east.  The  Mississippi  regiment  advanced  to  the  relief  of 
a  force  which  had  attacked  Fort  Lenaria,  but  hfd  been  repulsed 
before  the  Mississippians  arrived.  They  carried  the  redoubt, 
and  the  fort  which  was  in  the  rear  of.it  surrendered.  The  next 
day  our  force  on  the  west  side  carried  successfully  the  height 
on  which  stood  the  bishop's  palace,  which  commanded  the 
citj. 

"On  the  third  day  the  Mississippians  advanced  from  the  fort 
which  they  held,  through  lanes  and  gardens,  skirmishing  and 
driving  the  enemy  before  them  until  they  reached  a  two-story 
I  house  at  the  corner  of  the  Grand  Plaza.  Here  they  were  joined 
by  a  regiment  of  Texans,  and  from  the  windows  of  this  house 
they  opened  fire  on  the  artillery  and  such  otlier  troops  as  were 
in  view.  But,  to  get  a  better  position  for  firing  on  the  princi- 
pal buildings  of  the  Grand  Plaza,  it  was  necessary  to  cross  the 
street,  which  was  swept  by  canister  and  grape,  rattling  on  the 
pavemen*-  like  hail,  and,  as  the  street  was  very  narrow,  it  was 


30  THE  DA  Vl^  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

determined  to  construct  a  flying  barricade.  Some  long  timbers 
were  found,  and,  with  pack  saddles  and  boxes,  which  served 
the  purpose,  a  barricade  was  constructed, 

"Here  occurred  an  incident  to  which  I  have  since  frequently 
referred  with  pride.  In  breaking  open  a  quartermaster's 
storehouse  to  get  supplies  for  this  barricade,  the  men  found 
bundles  of  the  much-prized  Mexican  blankets,  and  also  of  very 
serviceable  shoes  and  pack  saddles.  The  pack  saddles  were 
ireely  taken  as  good  material  for  the  proposed  barricade;  and 
one  of  my  men,  as  his  shoes  were  broken  and  stones  had  hurt 
his  feet,  asked  my  permission  to  take  a  pair  from  one  of  the 
boxes  This,  of  course,  was  freely  accorded ;  but  not  one  of 
the  very  valuable  and  much-prized  IMexican  blankets  was 
taken. 

"About  the  time  that  the  flying  barricade  was  completed, 
arrangements  were  made  by  the  Texans  and  Mississippians  to 
occupy  houses  on  both  sides  of  the  streCu.,  for  the  j^urpose  of 
more  effective  fire  into  the  Grand  Plaza.  It  havmg  been 
deemed  necessary  to  increase  our  force,  the  Mississippi  sergeant- 
major  was  sent  back  for  some  companies  of  the  First  Mississippi 
which  had  remained  behind.  He  returned  with  the  stateruent 
that  the  enemy  was  behind  us,  that  all  our  troops  had  been 
withdrawn,  and  that  orders  had  been  three  times  sent  to  me  to 
return.  Governor  Henderson,  of  Texas,  had  accompanied  the 
Texan  troops,  and  on  submitting  to  him  the  question  what  we 
should  do  under  the  message,  he  realized — as  was  very  plain — 
that  it  was  safer  to  remain  where  we  were  than  (our  supports 
having  been  withdrawn)  to  return  across  streets  where  we  were 
liable  to  be  fired  on  by  artillery,  and  across  open  grounds 
where  cavalry  might  be  expected  to  attack  us.  But,  he  added, 
he  supposed  the  orders  came  from  the  general-in-chief,and  we 
were  bound  to  obey  them.  So  we  made  dispositions  to  retire 
quietly ;  but,  in  passing  the  first  square,  we  found  that  our 
movement  had  been  anticipated,  and  that  a  battery  of  artillery 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY.  31 

was  posted  to  command  the  street.  The  arrangement  made 
\5y  me  for  crossing  it  was  that  I  should  go  first ;  if  only  one 
gun  was  fired  at  me,  then  another  man  should  follow;  and  so 
on,  another  and  another,  until  a  volley  should  be  fired,  and 
then  all  of  them  should  rush  rapidly  across  before  the  guns 
could  be  reloaded.  In  this  manner  the  men  got  across  with 
little  loss.  We  then  made  our  way  to  the  suburb,  where  we 
found  that  an  officer  of  infantry,  -with  two  companies  and  a 
section  of  artillery,  had  been  posted  to  wait  for  us,  and,  in  case 
of  emergency,  to  aid  our  retreat. 

''Early  next  morning  General  Ampudia,  commanding  the 
Mexican  force,  sent  in  a  flag  and  asked  for  a  conference  with  a 
view  to  capitulation.  General  Taylor  acceded  to  the  proposi- 
tion, and  appointed  General  Worth,  Governor  Henderson  and 
myself  commissioners  to  arrange  the  terms  of  capitulation.  Gen- 
eral Taylor  received  the  surrender  of  the  city  of  Monterey,  with 
supplies,  much  needed  by  his  army,  and  shelter  for  the  w^ounded. 
The  enemy  gained  only  the  privilege  of  retiring  peacefully,  a  pri- 
vilege which,  if  it  had  not  been  accorded,  they  had  the  power  to 
take  by  any  one  of  the  three  roads  open  to  them.  The  point 
beyond  -which  they  should  withdraw  was  fixed  by  the  terms  o- 
capitulation,  and  the  time  during  which  hostilities  were  to  be 
suspended  was  determined  on  by  the  length  of  time  necessary 
to  refer  to  and  receive  answers  from  the  two  governments.  A 
few  days  before  the  expiration  of  the  time  so  fixed,  the  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States  disapproved  of  the  capitulation,  and 
ordered  the  truce  to  be  immediately  terminated.  By  this  deci- 
sion we  lost  whatever  credit  had  been  given  to  us  for  generous 
terms  in  the  capitulation,  and  hostilities  were  to  be  resumed 
without  any  preparations  having  been  made  to  enable  General 
Taylor,  even  with  the  small  force  he  had,  to  advance  further 
into  the  enemy's  country.  General  Taylor's  letter  to  Mr.  Marcy, 
Secretary  of  War,  was  a  very  good  response  to  an  unjust  criti- 
cism; and  in  the  Washington  Union  of  that  time  I  also  pub- 


32  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

lished  a  very  full  explanation  of  the  acts  of  the  commission- 
ers, and  of  the  military  questions  involved  in  the  matter  oi 
capitulation  in  preference  to  continuing  the  siege  and  attack. 

"General  Taylor,  assuming  that  it  was  intended  for  him  to 
advance  into  the  interior  of  Mexico,  then  commenced  to  pre- 
pare himself  for  such  a  campaign.  To  this  end  he  made  requi- 
sitions for  the  needful  transportation,  as  well  as  munitions, 
including,  among  other  supplies,  large  India  rubber  bags,  in 
which  to  carry  provisions  for  days,  and  which,  being  emptied 
before  we  reached  the  desert  of  sixty  miles,  would,  by  being 
filled  with  water,  enable  troops  and  horses  to  cross  those  desert 
plains.  These  and  other  details  had  been  entered  into  under 
the  expectation  that  the  censure  of  the  treaty  of  Monterey 
meant  a  march  into  the  interior  of  Mexico.  Another  thing 
required  was  a  new  battery  of  field  pieces  to  take  the  place  of 
the  old  Ringgold  battery,  which  by  long  service  had  become 
honeycombed.  When  all  these  arrangements  were  nearly  com- 
pleted it  was  decided  to  send  General  Scott,  with  discretionary 
powers,  which  enabled  him  to  take  nearly  all  the  tried  troops 
General  Taylor  had,  including  even  the  engineer  then  employed 
in  the  construction  of  a  fort,  and  the  battery  of  new  guns  to 
replace  the  old  ones,  which  were  deemed  no  longer  safe,  but 
which,  under  the  intrepid  Captain  Bragg,  afterward  did  good 
service  in  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista. 

"General  Taylor,  with  the  main  body  of  his  army  went  to 
Victoria,  and  there  made  arrangements  to  send  them  all  to 
report  to  General  Scott,  at  Vera  Cruz,  except  the  small  force  he 
considered  himself  entitled  to  as  an  escort  on  his  route  back  tc 
Monterey  through  an  unfriendly  people.  That  escort  consisted 
of  a  battery  of  light  artillery,  a  squadron  of  dragoons,  and  the 
regiment  of  Mississippi  riflemen.  With  these  he  proceeded 
through  Monterey  and  Saltillo  to  Agua  Nueva,  where  he  was 
joined  by  the  division  of  General  Wool,  who  had  made  the 
campaign  of  Chihuahua. 


AUTOniOOJiAPIlY.  33 

"General  Santa  Anna,  commanding  the  army  of  Mexico,  was 
informed  of  tlie  action  which  had  been  taken  in  stripping  Gen- 
eral Taylor  of  his  forces,  and  was  also  informed  that  he  had  at 
Saltillo  only  a  handful  of  volunteers,  which  could  be  easily 
dispersed  on  the  approach  of  aar  army.  Thus  assured,  and 
with  the  prospect  of  recovering  all  the  country  down  to  the  Rio 
Grande,  Santa  Anna  advanced  upon  Agua  Nueva. 

"  General  Taylor  retired  to  the  Angostura  pass,  in  front  of  the 
hacienda  of  Buena  Vista,  and  there  made  his  dispositions  to 
receive  the  anticipated  attack.  As  sage  as  he  was  brave,  his 
dispositions  were  made  as  well  as  the  small  force  at  his  com- 
mand made  it  possible.  After  two  days  of  bloody  fighting, 
General  Santa  Anna  retired  before  this  little  force,  the  greater 
part  of  which  had  never  before  been  under  fire. 

''The  encounter  with  the  enemy  was  very  bloody.  The  Mis- 
sissippians  lost  many  ol  theii  best  men,  for  each  of  whom,  how- 
ever, they  slew  several  of  the  enemy.  For,  trained  marksmen, 
they  never  touched  the  trigger  without  having  an  object 
through  both  sights;  and  they  seldom  fired  without  drawing 
blood.  The  infantry  against  whom  the  advance  was  made  was 
driven  back,  but  the  cavalry  then  moved  to  g3t  in  the  rear  of 
the  Mississippians,  and  this  involved  the  necessity  of  falling 
back  to  where  thj  plain  was  narrow,  so  as  to  have  a  ravine  on 
each  flank. 

"In  this  position  the  second  demonstration  of  the  enemy's 
cavalry  was  received.  They  were  repulsed,  and  it  was  quiet  in 
front' of  the  Mississippians  until  an  aide  came  and  called  from 
the  other  side  of  the  ravine,  which  he  could  not  pass,  that 
General  Taylor  wanted  support  to  come  as  soon  as  possible  to 
the  protection  of  the  artillery  on  the  right  flank.  The  order 
was  promptly  obeyed  at  double  quick,  although  the  distance 
must  have  been  nearly  a  mile.  They  found  the  enemy  moving 
in  three  lines  upon  the  batteries  of  Captain  Braxton  Bragg  and 
the  section  of  artillery  commanded  by  George  H.  Thomas 
3 


84  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

The  Mississippians  came  up  in  line,  their  right  flank  opposite 
the  first  line  of  the  advancing  enemy,  and  at  a  very  short  range 
opened  fire.  All  being  sharpshooters,  those  toward  the  left  of 
the  line  obliqued  to  the  right,  and  at  close  quarters  and  against 
three  long  lines  very  few  shots  could  have  missed.  At  the 
same  time  the  guns  of  Bragg  and  Thomas  were  firing  grape. 
The  effect  was  decisive;  the  infantry  and  artillery  of  the  enemy 
immediately  retired. 

"  At  the  close  of  the  day  Santa  Anna  bugled  the  retreat,  as 
was  supposed,  to  go  into  quarters,  but  when  the  next  sun  rose 
there  was  no  enemy  in  our  front. 

"The  news  of  this  victory  was  received  in  the  United  States 
with  a  degree  of  enthusiasm  proportionate  to  the  small  means 
with  which  it  was  achieved ;  and  generosity  was  excited  by  the 
feeling  that  General  Taylor  had  been  treated  with  injustice. 
Thenceforward  the  march  of  'Old  Rough  and  Ready'  to  the 
White  House  was  a  foregone  conclusion. 

'■'  In  this  battle,  while  advancing  to  meet  the  enemy,  then 
pressing  son^e  of  our  discomfited  volunteers  on  the  lefb  of 
the  field  of  battle,  I  received  a  painful  wound,  which  was  ren- 
dered more  severe  in  consequence  of  remaining  in  the  saddle 
all  day,  although  wounded  early  in  the  morning.  A  ball  had 
passed  through  the  foot,  leaving  in  the  wound  broken  bones 
and  foreign  matter,  which  the  delay  had  made  it  impossible 
then  to  extract.  In  consequence  I  had  to  return  home  on 
crutches. 

"In  the  meantime  a  Senator  of  Misidssippi  had  died,  and 
the  governor  had  appointed  me  his  successor.  Before  my 
return  home  President  Polk  had  also  appointed  me  brigadier- 
general  of  volunteers,  an  appointment  which  I  declined  on  the 
ground  that  volunteers  are  militia,  and  that  the  constitution 
reserved  to  the  State  the  appointment  of  all  militia  officers. 
This  T.-as  in  1 847.  In  January,  1848,  the  Mississippi  legisla- 
ture unanimously  elected  me  United  States  Senator  for  the  rest 


AUTOniOOnAPHY.  35 

of  the  unexpired  term;  and  in  1850  I  was  re-elected  for  the 
fall  term  as  my  own  successor.  In  the  United  States  Senate  I 
was  cliairman  of  the  Military  Committee;  and  I  also  took  an 
active  part  in  the  debates  on  tbe  compromise  measures  of  1850, 
frequently  opposing  Senator  Douglas,  of  Illinois,  in  his  theory 
of  'squatter  sovereignty,'  and  advocating,  as  a  means  of  pacifica- 
tion, the  extension  of  the  Missouri  compromise  line  to  the  Pacific. 
When  the  question  was  presented  to  Mississippi  as  to  whether 
the  State  should  acquiesce  in  the  compromise  legislation  of  1850, 
or  whether  it  should  join  the  other  Southern  States  in  a  con- 
vention to  decide  as  to  the  best  course  to  pursue  in  view  of  the 
threatened  usurpations  of  the  Federal  government,  I  advo- 
cated a  convention  of  the  Southern  States,  with  a  view  to  such 
co-operation  as  might  effectually  check  the  exercise  of  con- 
structive powers,  the  parent  of  despotism,  by  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment. 

"  The  canvass  for  governor  commenced  that  year.  The  ca  ndi- 
date  of  the  democratic  party  was  by  his  opponents  represented 
to  hold  extreme  opinions — in  other  words,  to  be  a  disunionist. 
For,  although  he  was  a  man  of  high  character  and  had  served 
the  country  well  in  peace  and  war,  this  supposition  was  so  art- 
fully cultivated  that,  though  the  democratic  party  was  esti- 
mated to  be  about  8,000  in  majority,  when  the  election  occurred 
in  September  the  democratic  candidates  for  a  convention  were 
defeated  by  a  majority  of  over  7,000,  and  the  democratic  can- 
didate for  governor  withdrew. 

"The  election  for  governor  was  to  occur  in  November,  and  I 
was  called  on  to  take  the  place  vacated  by  the  candidate  who 
■  had  withdrawn  from  the  canvass.  It  was  a  forlorn  lio^^e,  espe- 
cially as  my  health  had  been  impaired  by  labors  in  the  sum- 
mer canvass,  and  there  was  not  time  before  the  approaching 
election  to  make  such  a  canvass  as  would  be  needed  to  reform 
the  ranks  of  the  democracy.  However,  as  a  duty  to  the  party, 
I  accepted  the  position,  and  made  as  active  a  campaign  as  the 


36  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

time  permitted,  with  the  result  that  the  majority  against  the 
party  was  reduced  to  less  than  1,000.  From  this  time,  I 
remained  engaged  in  quiet  farm  labors  until  the  nomination 
of  Franklin  Pierce,  when  I  went  out  to  advocate  his  election, 
having  formed  a  very  high  opinion  of  him  as  a  statesman  and 
a  patriot  from  observations  of  him  in  1837  and  1838,  when  he 
was  in  the  United  States  Senate. 

"On  his  election  as  President,  I  became  a  member  of  his  cab- 
iiiet,  filling  the  office  of  Secretar}^  of  War  during  his  entire  term. 
During  these  four  years  I  proposed  the  introduction  of  camels 
for  service "  ou  the  v/estern  i:)lains,  a  suggestion  which  was 
adopted.  I  also  introduced  an  improved  system  of  infantry 
tactics,  effected  the  substitution  of  iron  for  wood  in  gun  car- 
riages, secured  rifled  muskets  and  rifles  and  the  use  of  minie 
balls,  and  advocated  the  increase  of  the  defences  of  the  sea- 
coast  by  heavy  guns  and  the  use  of  large-grain  powder. 

"While  in  the  Senate  I  had  advocated,  as  a  military  necessity 
and  as  a  means  of  preserving  the  Pacific  territory  to  the  Uuion, 
the  construction  of  a  military  railway  across  the  continent ; 
and,  as  Secretary  of  War,  I  was  put  in  charge  of  the  survey 
of  the  various  routes  proposed.  Perhaps  for  a  similar  reason — 
my  previous  action  in  the  Senate — I  was  also  put  in  charge  of 
the  extension  of  the  United  States  capitol. 

"  The  administration  of  Mr.  Pierce  presents  the  single  instance 
of  an  executive  whose  cabinet  witnessed  no  change  of  23ersons 
during  the  whole  term.  -At  its  close,  having  been  re-elected  to 
the  United  States  Senate,  I  re-entered  that  body. 

"During  the  discussion  of  the  compromise  measures  of  ISoO 
tb.e  refusal  to  extend  the  ]\Iissouri  compromise  line  to  the 
Pacific  was  early  put  on  the  ground  that  there  was  no  consti- 
.tutional  authority  to  legislate  slavery  into  or  out  of  any  terri- 
tory, which  was  in  fact  and  seeming  intent  a  repudiation  of 
the  Missouri  compromise ;  and  it  was  so  treated  in  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  bill. 


AUTOBIOGEAPHY.  37 

"  Subsequently  Mr.  Douglas,  the  advocate  of  what  was  called 
'squatter  sovereignty/  insisted  upon  the  rights  of  the  first  immi- 
grants into  the  territory  to  decide  upon  the  question  whether 
migrating  citizens  might  take  their  slaves  with  them ;  which 
meant,  if  it  meant  anything,  that  Congress  could  authorize  a 
iQ'W  settlers  to  do  what  it  was  admitted  Congress  itself  could  not 
do.  But  out  of  this  bill  arose  a  dissension  which  finally 
divided  the  democratic  party,  and  caused  its  defeat  in  the  pres- 
idential election  of  1860. 

"And  from  this  empty,;baseless  theory  grew  the  Iliad  of  our 
direst  woes. 

"When  Congress  met  in  the  fall  of  1860  I  was  appointed  one 
of  a  Senate  committee  of  thirteen  to  examine  and  report  on 
some  practicable  adjustment  of  the  controversies  which  then 
threatened  the  dissolution  of  the  Union.  I  at  first  asked  to  be 
excused  from  ihe  committee,  but  at  the  solicitation  of  friends 
agreed  to  serve,  avowing  my  willingness  to  make  any  sacrifice 
to  avert  the  impending  struggle.  The  committee  consisted  of 
men  belonging  to  tlie  thres  political  divisions  of  the  Senate — 
the  State  Rights  Men  of  the  South,  the  Radicals  of  the  North, 
and  the  Northern  Democrats,  with  one  member  who  did  not  ack- 
nowledge himself  as  belonging  to  any  of  the  three  divisions — 
Mr.  Crittenden,  an  old-time  Whig,  and  the  original  mover  of 
the  compromise  resolutions.  When  the  committee  met  it  was 
agreed  that  unless  some  measure  which  would  receive  the  sup- 
port of  the  majority  of  each  of  the  three  divisions  could  be 
devised,  it  was  useless  to  make  any  report ;  and  after  many 
days  of  anxious  discussion  and  a  multiplicity  of  propositions, 
though  the  Southern  State  Rights  Men  and  the  Northern  Dem- 
ocrats, and  the  AVhigs,  Mr.  Crittenden,  could  frequently  agree, 
they  could  never  get  a  majority  of  the  Northern  Radicals  to 
unite  with  them  in  any  substantive  proposition.  Finally,  the 
committee  reported  their  failure  to  find  anything  on  which  the 
three  divisions  could  unite,     Mr.  Douglas,  who  was  a  member 


38  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

of  the  committee,  defiantly  challenged  the  Northern  Radicals  to 
tell  what  they  wanted.  As  they  had  refused  everything,  he 
claimed  that  they  ought  to  be  willing  to  tell  what  they  pro- 
posed to  do. 

"When  officially  informed  that  Mississippi  had  passed  the 
ordinance  of  secession,  I  took  formal  leave  of  the  Senate, 
announcing  for  the  last  time  the  opinions  I  had  so  often. 
expressed  as  to  State  sovereignty,  and,  as  a  consequence  of  it, 
the  right  of  a  State  to  withdraw  its  delegated  powers.  Before 
I  reached  home  I  had  been  appointed  by  the  convention  of 
Mississippi  commander-in-chief  of  its  army,  with  the  rank  of 
major-general,  and  I  at  once  proceeded  with  the  task  of  organ- 
ization. I  went  to  my  home  in,  Warren  county  in  order  to 
prepare  for  what  I  believed  was  to  be  a  long  and  severe  strug- 
gle. Soon  a  messenger  came  from  the  Provisional  Confederate 
Congress  at  Montgomer}^,  bringing  the  unwelcome  notice  that 
I  had  been  elected  Provisional  President  of  the  Confederate 
States.  But,  reluctant  as  I  was  to  accept  the  honor,  and  care- 
fully as  I  had  tried  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  it,  in  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  country,  I  could  not  refuse  it ;  and  I  was 
inaugurated  at  Montgomery,  February  18,  1861,  with  Alexan- 
der H.  Stephens,  of  Georgia,  as  vice-president. 

"From  this  time  to  the  fall  of  the  Confederate  government 
my  life  was  part  of  the  history  of  the  Confederacy,  and  of  the 
war  between  the  States.  It  is  impossible,  therefore,  to  follow  it 
in  detail. 

"In  the  selection  of  a  cabinet  I  was  relieved  from  a  difficulty 
which  surrounds  that  duty  by  the  president  of  the  United 
States,  for  there  were  no  sections'  and  no  'party'  distinc- 
tions. All  aspirations,  ambitions,  and  interests  had  been 
merged  in  a  great  desire  for  Confederate  independence. 

"In  my  inaugural  address  I  asserted  that  necessity, not  choice, 
had  led  tc  the  secession  of  the  Southern  States;  that,  as  an 
agricultural  people,  their  policy  was  peace  and  free  commerce 


/ 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY.  39 

with  all  the  world;  that  the  constituent  parts,  not  the  system 
of  government,  had  been  changed. 

"  The  removal  of  the  troops  from  Fort  Moultrie  to  Fort 
Sumter,  the  guns  of  which  threatened  the  harbor  of  Charles- 
ton, and  the  attempt  to  throw  re-enforcements  into  that  fort — 
thus  doubly  breaking  a  pledge  that  matters  should  be  kept  in 
statu  quo — constituted  the  occasion  as  well  as  the  justification 
of  the  opening  of  fire  upon  Fort  Sumter.  Speedily  following 
this  event  came  the  call  for  a  large  army  by  Mr.  Lincoln,  and 
the  secession  of  other  Southern  States  as  the  consequence  of  this 
unmistakable  purpose  of  coercion, 

"  Virginia,  which  had  led  in  the  efibrt,  by  a  peace  conference, 
to  avert  national  ruin,  when  she  saw  the  constitution  disre- 
garded and  the  purpose  to  compel  free  states  by  military  force- 
to  submit  to  arbitrary  power,  passed  an  ordinance  of  secession, 
and  joined  the  Confederate  States. 

"Shortly  after  this,  as  authorized  by  the  Provisional  Con- 
gress, I  removed  the  Confederate  capital  from  Montgomery  to 
Richmond. 

"Among  the  many  indications  of  good  will  shown  when  on 
my  way  to  and  after  my  arrival  at  Richmond  was  the  pur- 
chase of  a  very  fine  residence  in  Richmond  by  leading  citi- 
zens. It  was  off'ered  as  a  present ;  but,  following  a  rule  that 
had  governed  my  action  in  all  such  cases,  I  declined  to  accept 
it.  I  continued  to  live  in  Richmond  until  the  Confederate 
forces  were  compelled  to  withdraw  from  the  defences  of  the 
capital. 

"  That  event  was  not  quite  unexpected,  but  it  occurred  before 
the  conditions  were  fulfilled  under  which  General  Lee  contem- 
plated retreat.  After  General  Lee  was  forced  to  surrender,  and 
General  Johnston  consented  to  do  so,  I  started,  with  a  very  few 
of  the  men  who  volunteered  to  accompany  me,  tor  the  Trans- 
Mississippi  ;  but,  hearing  on  the  road  that  marauders  were 
pursuing  my  family,  whom  I  had  not  seen  since  they  left  Rich- 


40  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

mond,  but  knew  to  be  en  route  to  the  Florida  coast,  I  changed 
my  direction,  and,  after  a  long  and  hard  ride,  found  them 
encamped  and  threatened  by  a  robbing  party.  To  give  them 
the  needed  protection  1  traveled  with  them  for  several  days, 
until  in  the  neighborhood  of  Irvinville,  Ga.,  when  I  supposed 
I  could  safely  leave  them.  But,  hearing  about  nightfall,  that 
a  party  of  marauders  were  to  attack  the  camp  that  night,  and 
supposing  them  to  be  pillaging  deserters  from  both  armies,  and 
that  the  Confederates  w^ould  listen  to  me,  I  awaited  their  com- 
ing, lay  down  in  my  traveling  clothes  and  fell  asleep.  Late 
in  the  night  my  colored  coachman  aroused  me  with  the  intel- 
ligence that  the  camp  was  attacked,  and  I  stepped  out  of  the 
tent  where  my  wife  and  children  were  sleeping,  and  saw  at 
once  that  the  assailants  were  troops  deploying  around  the 
encampment.  I  so  informed  my  wife,  who  urged  me  to  escape. 
After  some  hesitation  I  consented,  and  a  servant  woman  started 
with  me,  carrying  a  bucket  as  if  going  to  the  spring  for  water. 
One  of  the  surrounding  troopers  ordered  me  to  halt  and 
demanded  my  surrender.  I  advanced  toward  the  trooper, 
throwing  off  a  shawl  which  my  wife  had  put  over  my  should- 
ers. The  trooper  aimed  his  carbine,  when  my  wife,  who  wit- 
nessed the  act,  rushed  forward  and  threw  her  arms  around  me, 
thus  defeating  my  intention,  which  was,  if  the  trooper  missed 
his  aim,  to  try  and  unhorse  him  and  escape  with  his  horse. 
Then,  with  every  species  of  petty  pillage  and  offensive  exhibi- 
tion, I  was  taken  from  point  to  point  until  incarcerated  in  Fort- 
ress ]\Ionroe.*  There  I  was  imprisoned  for  two  years  before 
being  allowed  the  privilege  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus. 

"At  length,  when  the  writ  was  to  be  issued,  the  condition  was 
imposed  by  the  Federal  executive  that  there  should  be  bonds- 

*For  a  fuller  account  of  my  arrest  see  statements  of  United  States  Senator  Eeagan  ;  W. 
Preston  Johnston,  president  Tulane  Tniversity ;  F.  R.  Lubbock,  Trcasiu'cr  of  Texas  ;  B.  N. 
Harrison.  Esq.,  ot  Kcw  i'ork  city,  all  eye  witnesses.  Also  "The  Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Confed- 
erate GoYcrnmcrit,"  page  7C0,  vol.  11 ;  and  for  my  life  at  Fortrefs  Monroe,  "  The  Prison  Life 
of  Jefferson  Davis,"  by  Dr.  L.  J.  J.  Craven.    New  York ;  Carleton,  1SG6. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY.  41 

men  influential  in  the  'republican'  party  of  the  north,  Mr. 
Greeley  being  especially  named.  Entirely  as  a  matter  of  jus- 
tice and  legal  right,  and  not  from  motives  of  personal  regard, 
Mr.  Greeley,  Mr.  Gerrit  Smith,  and  other  eminent  northern 
citizens  went  on  my  bond. 

"In  May,  1867,  after  being  released  from  Fortress  Monroe,  I 
went  to  Canada,  where  my  older  children  were,  with  their 
grandmother;  my  wife,  as  soon  as  permitted,  having  shared 
my  imprisonment,  and  brought  our  infant  daughter  with  her. 
From  time  to  time  I  obeyed  summonses  to  go  before  the  Fede- 
ral court  at  Richmond,  until  finally  the  case  was  heard  by 
Chief-Justice  Chase  and  District  Judge  Underwood,  who  were 
divided  in  opinion,  which  sent  the  case  to  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  United  States,  and  the  proceedings  were  quashed,  leav- 
ing me  without  the  opportunity  to  vindicate  myself  before  the 
highest  Federal  court 

"After about  a  year's  residence  in  Canada  I  went  to  England 
with  my  family,  under  an  arrangement  that  I  was  to  have 
sixty  days'  notice  whenever  the  United  States  court  required 
my  presence.  After  being  abroad  in  England  and  on  the 
continent  about  a  year,  I  received  an  offer  of  an  appointment 
as  president  of  a  life  insurai:\ce  company.  Thereupon  I 
returned  to  this  country,  and  went  to  Memphis,  and  took  charge 
of  the  company.  Subsequently  I  came  to  the  gulf  coast  of 
Mississippi,  as  a  quiet  place  where  I  could  prepare  my  work 
on  'The  Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Confederate  Government.'  A 
friend  from  her  infancy,  Mrs.  Dorsey  shared  her  home  with 
me,  and  subsequently  sold  to  me  her  property  at  Beauvoir,  an 
estate  of  five  or  six  hundred  acres,  about  midway  between 
Mobile  and  New  Orleans.  Before  I  had  fully  paid  for  this 
estate  Mrs.  Dorsey  died,.leaving  me  her  sole  legatee.  From 
the  spring  of  1S7G  to  the  autumn  of  1879  I  devoted  myself  to 
the  production  of  the  historical  work  just  mentioned.  It  is  an 
octavo  book,  in  two  volumes  of  about  700  pages  each.     I  have 


42  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  VME. 

also  from  time  to  time  contributed  essays  to  the  North  Ameri- 
can Review  and  Belford's  Magazine  and  have  just  completed 
the  manuscript  of  'A  Short  History  of  the  Confederate  States  of 
America,'  which  is  expected  to  appear  early  in  1890. 

"Since  settling  at  Beauvoir,!  have  persistently  refused  to  take 
any  active  part  in  politics,  not  merely  because  of  my  disfran- 
chisement, but  from  a  belief  that  such  labors  could  not  be  made 
to  conduce  to  the  public  good,  owing  to  the  sectional  hostili- 
ties manifested  against  me  since  the  war.  For  the  same  rea- 
son I  have  also  refused  to  be  a  candidate  for  public  office, 
although  it  is  well  known  that  I  could  at  any  time  have  been 
re-elected  a  Senator  of  the  United  States, 

"I  have  been  twice  married,  the  second  time  being  in  1844, 
to  a  daughter  of  William  B.  Howell,  of  Natchez,  a  son  of  Gov- 
ernor Howell,  of  New  Jersey.  She  has  borne  me  six  children — 
four  sons  and  two  daughters.  My  sons  are  all  dead;  my 
daughters  survive.  The  elder  is  Mrs.  Hayes,  of  Colorado 
Springs,  Col.,  and  the  mother  of  four  children.  My  youngest 
daughter  lives  with  us  at  Beauvoir,  Miss.  Born  in  the  last 
year  of  the  war,  she  became  familiarly  known  as  'the  Daughter 
of  the  Confederacy.'  "Jefferson  Davis. 

"Beauvoir,  Miss.,  November,  1889." 

The  above  exceedingly  modest,  but  deeply  interesting  story 
of  his  eventful  life  will  increase  the  public  desire  to  see  the 
fuller  autobiography  which  he  was  writing,  and  deepen  the 
regret  that  he  was  not  spared  to  complete  it. 

But  after  all  there  are  many  things  to  be  said  about  his  life 
and  character  which  he  would  never  have  said  or  even  inti- 
mated, and  while  we  cannot  enter  into  full  details,  we  must 
give  some  of  the  things  concerning  this  great  man  that  ought 
to  be  written  and  preserved. 


11. 

HIS  BIRTH  AND  EARLY  LIFE. 

It  is  very  certain  that  a  love  of  liberty,  a  deep-toned  patriot- 
ism, a  willingness  to  sacrifice  self  for  country,  were  inherited 
from  the  patriot  soldier  of  the  revolution,  and  that  the  brave 
Captain  Samuel  Davis,  who  fought ~for  the  colony  of  Georgia, 
and  the  other  American  colonies,  against  British  oppression, 
was  a  fit  progenitor  of  the  chivalric  Jefferson  Davis,  who  led 
the  Confederate  States  in  their  great  struggle  for  constitutional 
freedom. 

Although  the  father  only  remained  in  Kentucky  a  few  3'ears 
after  the  birth  of  his  son  Jefferson,  Mr.  Davis  always  cherished 
a  real  filial  affection  for  the  state  of  his  birth,  and  early  home, 
and  Kentucky  has  been  ever  proud  that  she  gave  him  birth, 
and  counts  him  the  greatest  of  all  of  her  illustrious  sons. 

One  of  the  most  pleasant  episodes  in  his  life  was  his  giving 
to  the  Baptist  church  in  Fairview,  Ky.,  the  site  of  his  birth 
place  on  which  to  erect  a  house  of  worship — his  attendance  at 
the  dedication  of  this  church,  November  21,  18S6 — and  the 
tender,  appropriate,  and  eloquent  speech,  which  he  made  on 
that  occasion. 

There  was- an  immense  crowd  present;  the  services  were  of 
great  solemnity  and  interest;  all  seemed  touched  by  the  pres- 
ence of  the  veteran  president  of  the  Confederacy,  and  Mr. 
Davis  himself  was  deeply  moved  by  the  occasion,  and  the  hal- 
lowed memories  which  came  trooping  up  from  the  past,  as  he 
saw  this  beautiful  house  of  worship  on  the  site  of  the  humble 
cabm  in  which  he  was  born. 

(43) 


44  .     THE  D  Ay  IS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

I  am  indebted  to  Mrs.  J.  0.  Rust,  of  Hopkinsville,  Ky.,  for 
the  following  copy  of  a  report  of  the  brief  address  he  made  to  the 
assembled  multitude,  when, after  the  sermon,  which  beseemed 
greatly  to  enjoy,  he  was  called  on  to  make  some  remarks. 

The  report  is  not  stenographic,  but  is  said  to  be  nearly  his 
exact  words.  In  his  graceful  style  he  spoke,  in  substance,  as 
follows : 

"  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Congregation:  !My  heart  is  always 
filled  with  gratitude  to  you,  who  extend  to  me  so  many  kind- 
nesses. I  am  thankful  that  I  can  give  you  this  lot  upon  which 
to  worship  the  triune  God.  It  has  been  asked  why  I,  who  am  not 
a  Baptist,  give  this  lot  to  the  Baptist  church?  I  am  not  a  Bap- 
tist, but  my  father,  who  was  a  better  man  than  I,  was  a  Baptist. 

"Wherever  I  go,  w^hen  I  come  here,  I  feel  'that  this  is  my 
own,  my  native  land.'  When  I  see  this  beautiful  church  it 
refills  my  heart  with  thanks.  It  shows  the  love  you  bear, 
your  creator;  it  shows  your  capacity  for  building  to  your  God. 
The  pioneers  of  this  country,  as  I  have  learned  from  history, 
were  men  of  plain,  simple  habits,  full  of  energy  and  imbued 
with  religious  principles.  They  lived  in  a  day  before  the  dawn 
of  sectarian  disturbances  and  sectional  strifes.  In  their  rude 
surroundings  and  teachings  it  is  no  wonder  that  they  learned 
that  God  was  love. 

"I  did  not  come  here  to  speak.  I  would  not  mar  with 
speech  of  mine  the  effect  of  the  beautiful  sermon  to  which  you 
have  listened.  I  simply  tender  to  you,  through  the  trustees 
of  Bethel,  the  site  upon  which  this  church  stands.  May  the 
God  of  heaven  bless  this  community  forever,  and  may  the 
Saviour  of  the  world  preserve  this  church  to  His  worship  for 
all  time  to  come." 

But  in  his  early  youth  his  father  removed  to  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Woodville,  Wilkinson  Co.,  in  what  was  then  the  terri- 
tory of  Mississippi,  and  henceforth  Jefferson  Davis  became., 
intus  et  in  cute,  a  Mississippian. 


*    M 

i  ^ 


III. 

THE  COLLEGE  BOY. 

He  was  prepared  at  home  to  enter  Transylvania  University 
Ky.,  at  an  earlier  age  than  was  usual,  and  he  made  rapid  pro- 
gress in  his  studies  here,  until,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  was 
appointed  by  President  Monroe  a  cadet  at  the  United  States 
Military  Academy  at  West  Point. 

At  Transylvania  University  he  formed  an  intimacy  with 
George  ¥/.  Jones,  of  Iowa,  which  continued  unabated  through- 
out Ms  life,  and  one  of  the  most  touching  incidents  of  his 
death  was  that  when  Mr.  Jones  learned  of  his  illness  he  started 
from  his  home  in  the  Northwest  to  see  him,  but  only  reached 
New  Orleans  after  his  death.  He  was  one  of  the  pall-bearers, 
and  it  was  very  touching  to  see  the  old  man's  deep  grief,  and 
to  hear  him  say  as  he  witnessed  that  outpouring  of  the  people: 
"  Oil!  just  see  these  vast  crowds  which  come  to  do  honor  to  my 
precious  friend,  Jefferson  Davis." 

During  his  visit  to  New  Orleans  the  Times-Democrat  pub- 
lished the  following  interview  with  him,  and  although  much 
of  it  relates  to  other  periods  than  his  college  days,  it  is  of  such 
deep  interest  that  we  insert  the  whole  of  it  here  as  follows: 

"Of  the  many  who  are  bowed  down  with  grief  at  the  death 
of  ex-President  Davis,  comparatively  few  feel  it  more  keenly 
than  General  George  Wallace  Jones,  of  Dubuque,  Iowa.  His 
friendship  for  Mr.  Davis  dated  back  to  boyhood,  when  he  and  the 
ex-President  were  college  mates.  The  news  of  Mr,  Davis's  dan- 
gerous illness  reached  General  Jones  at  his  home  in  Dubuque, 
Iowa,   and  he   at  once   determined  to   visit  him  once  more 

(46) 


TH^E  COLLEGE  BOY.  47 

before  lie  died.  Hurrying  South,  he  reached  the  city  yester- 
day morning,  too  late  by  only  a  few  hours  to  once  more  clasp 
the  hand  of  his  oldest  and  dearest  friend.  He  was  deeply 
pained  and  disaj^pointed  at  the  result  of  his  long  journey,  but 
he  consoles  himself  with  the  reflection  that  he  has  at  least  the 
opportunity  of  paying  the  last  formal  tribute  to  the  ashes  of 
one  who  w^as  so  dear  to  him  in  life. 

"General  Jones  was  yesterday  so  oppressed  with  grief  that 
he  could  think  of  little  but  the  present  and  its  immediate  con- 
cerns, and  it  was  with  some  difficulty  that  he  could  sufficiently 
command  his  emotions  to  enable  him  to  give  anything  like  a 
succinct  and  consecutive  story  of  his  personal  relations  with 
the  late  ex-president. 

"They  were  classmates  at  Transylvania  University,  Lexing- 
ton, Ky.,  in  1820.  His  acquaintance  with  Jefferson  Davis  com- 
menced in  October  of  that  year.  Young  Davis  was  then  consid- 
ered by  the  faculty  the  brightest  and  most  intelligent,  and  by 
his  fellow-students  the  bravest  and  handsomest  of  all  the  college 
hoys,.  In  November,  1824,  Jefferson  Davis  was  appointed  to  a 
cadetship  at  West  Point  by  President  l^ionroe,  and  as  ]\Ir. 
Jones  remained  at  the  university  and  graduated  in  1825,  the 
friends  drifted  apart. 

"The  next  I  knew  of  'Jeff,'  as  we  used  to  call  him,"  said 
General  Jones,  "was  in  1828.~  He  had  graduated  at  West 
Point  and  had  been  assigned  to  duty  as  second  lieutenant  in  a 
United  States  cavalry  command  at  Fort  Crawford,  Prairie  du 
Chien,  then  Michigan  Territory,  but  now  the  State  of  Wis- 
consin. It  was  late  in  the  year,  and  late  one  night,  when  a 
cavalry  lieutenant  and  a  sergeant  rode  up  to  my  log  cabin  at 
Sinsinawa  Mound,  about  fifty  miles  from  Fort  Crawford  and 
inquired  for  Mr.  Jones.  I  told  him  that  I  answered  to  that 
name.  The  lieutenant  then  asked  me  if  they  could  remain 
there  all  night  I  told  him  that  they  were  welcome  to  share 
my  buffalo  robes  and  blankets,  and  that  their  horses  could  be 
coralled  with  mine  on  the  prairie. 


48  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

"Tlie  officer  then  asked  me  if  I  had  ever  been  at  the  Transyl- 
vania University.  1  answered  that  I  had  been  there  from  1820 
to  1825. 

" '  Do  you  remember  a  college  hoj  named  Jeff.  Davis  ? ' " 

'"  Of  course,  I  do.' " 

"'lam  Jeflf.'" 

"  That  was  enough  for  me.  I  pulled  him  off  his  horse  and 
into  my  cabin,  and  it  was  hours  before  either  of  us  could 
think  of  sleeping.  I  could  never  forget  that  night  if  I  were 
to  live  a  thousand  years.  Lieutenant  Davis  remained  at  my 
cabin  for  some  days,  and  after  the  unconstrained  manner  of 
early  frontier  life  we  had  a  delightful  time. 

"  In  1832  we  became  associated  in  the  famous  Black  Hawk 
war,  he  as  lieutenant  of  infantry,  and  I  as  aid-de-camp  to 
General  Henry  Dodge,  commanding  the  militia  of  Michigan 
Territory.  I  often  accepted  his  invitation  to  partake  of  his 
hospitality,  as  well  as  that  of  General  (then  Captain)  William 
S.  Ilarncy  and  Colonel  Zachariah  Taylor,  who  often  divided 
their  rations  with  me,  as  we  volunteers  were  often  in  want  of 
suitable  food. 

"The  regulars  were  much  better  provided  for  than  we  volun- 
teers were  at  that  time.  They  were  not  only  furnished  with 
better  rations  and  more  of  them,  but  they  had  tents  while  wo 
had  none,  and  I  shall  never  forget  the  generous  hospitality  of 
Lieutenant  Davis,  Captain  W.  S.  Harney,  Colonel  Zachariah 
Taylor,  and  others  of  my  brave  and  generous  comrades  of 
those  days. 

"  In  the  winter  of  1832-3,  Lieutenant  Davis  was  sent  to  the 
Dubuque  lead  mines,  which  at  the  termination  of  the  trouble 
had  been  occupied  by  squatters.  He  was  directed  by  the  War 
Department,  through  Colonel  Zachariah  Taylor,  to  remove 
these  squatters.  Lieutenants  Gardner  and  Wilson,  who  pre- 
ceded him,  having  failed  to  drive  the  people  off. 

"  Lieutenant  Davis,  by  his  concilliatory  efTorts  and  kindness, 
soon  got  them  to  leave  under  an  assurance  that  their  claims 


THE  COLLEGE  BOY.  49 

would  be  recognized  as  soon  as  the  treaty  made  with  the  Sacs 
and  Fox  Indians  should  be  ratified  by  the  United  States  Senate, 
which  he  felt  confident  would  be  the  case.  He  induced  all 
the  men  to  leave,  but  permitted  one  woman  to  remain  in  her 
husband's  cabin,  as  the  winter  was  excessively  severe.  She 
remained  ever  afterward  his  devoted  friend,  up  to  her  death, 
about  two  years  ago. 

"  While  Lieutenant  Davis  was  encamped  opposite  Dubucjue, 
my  present  home,  he  often  visited  me.  He  was  a  great  favor- 
ite with  my  boys,  whom  he  used  to  hold  on  his  knees  and 
fondle  as  if  they  had  been  his  own.  Two  of  them  afterward 
served  under  him  in  the  cause  of  the  Confederacy. 

''As  soon  as  my  youngest  son,  Captain  G.  H.  G.  Jones, 
learned  oi  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter  he  hurried  to  Nashville, 
wdiere  he  and  his  brothers  had  graduated  from  the  AVestern 
Military  Institute.  ]\Iy  son  offered  his  services,  and  Governor 
Isham  G.  Harris  (now  a  senator  in  Congress,  and  with  whom  I 
had  served  in  the  United  States  Senate)  sent  for  him  and 
appointed  him  a  captain.  My  son  was  taken  prisoner  at  the 
surrender  of  Fort  Ilenry,  sent  for  a  few  days  for  safe  keeping 
to  the  penitentiary  at  Alton,  111.,  with  other  prisoners  of  war, 
and  removed  thence  to  Johnson's  island  in  Lake  Erie. 

"  The  story  of  the  service  of  my  eldest  son,  Charles  S.  D. 
Jones,  under  Jefferson  Davis,  is  as  follows :  In  the  spring  or 
summer  of  '62,  after  my  return  from  Bogota,  he  left  Dubuque 
and  went  with  his  young  wafe  to  Frankfort,  Ky.,  and  thence 
to  Richmond,  Va.  He  did  not  tell  me  w'here  he  was  going 
when  he  left.  At  Richmond  he  apj)lied  to  President  Davis  for 
a  position.  Mr.  Davis  having  written  to  Bushrod  Johnson, 
under  whom  my  son  had  graduated,  the  latter  appointed  him 
one  of  his  adjutant-generals.  He  served  in  this  capacity  till 
he  was  taken  prisoner  somewhere  in  Virginia,  when  he  was 
sent  to  Fort  Delaware,  near  Wilmington. 
4 


50  THF  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

"On  one  occasion,  I  believe  I  saved  Mr.  Davis's  life.  It  was 
in  1838,  when  I  was  the  first  delegate  to  Congress  from  Wis- 
consin territory.  Jefferson  Davis  reached  Washington  in  the 
winter,  and  immediately  called  to  see  me  where  I  was  staying, 
at  Dawson  boarding-house,  not  more  than  one  hundred  3^ards 
northeast  of  the  present  Senate  chamber. 

"Among  the  prominent  men  staying  at  the  same  house  were 
Senators  Thomas  H.  Benton,  of  Missouri ;  Dr.  Lewis  F.  Linn, 
William  Allen,  of  Ohio,  and  forty  or  fifty  others.  I  introduced 
Lieutenant  Davis  to  my  friends.  He  was  then  on  his  way  to 
his  home  in  Mississippi  from  Havana,  whither  he  had  gone 
for  his  health.  He  soon  won  the  high  esteem  and  respect  of 
all  the  foremost  men  at  the  national  capital.  He  was  my  guest 
when  I  seconded  Jonathan  Cilley,  of  Maine,  in  the  great  duel 
with  William  J.  Graves,  of  Kentucky,  in  which  Cilley  was 
killed. 

"On  one  occasion  that  winter  Davis  and  I  accompanied  Dr. 
Linn,  the  'model  senator'  from  Missouri,  and  Senator  Allen, of 
Ohio,  to  a  reception  given  by  the  Secretary  of  War.  Dr.  Linn 
and  I  returned  home,  leaving  Senator  Allen  and  Davis  to 
return  home  with  John  J.  Crittenden  of  Ky.,  and  Calhoun, 
at  Crittenden's  request.  After  Dr.  Linn  and  I  got  to  bed 
we  heard  the  voice  of  Allen  at  a  distance.  He  and  Davis 
soon  entered  our  room. 

"Mr.  Davis  was  bleeding  profusely  from  a  deep  cut  in  his 
head,  and  the  blood  was  streaming  down  over  his  face,  and 
upon  his  white  tie,  shirt  front,  and  white  waistcoat. 

"Mr.  Allen,  missing  the  bridge  (Mr.  Allen  being  sup- 
posed to  be  familiar  with  the  road),  they  had  both  fallen 
into  the  Tiber,  a  small  stream  which  they  had  to  cross.  Allen 
had  alighted  on  his  feet,  but  Mr.  Davis,  who  was  perfectly 
sober,  had  pitched  head  foremost  into  the  creek  and  cut  his 
head  badly.  He  was  covered  with  blood,  and  his  clothes  were 
drenched  with  water  and  stained  with  mud;     Mr.  Davis  was 


THE  COLLEQE  nOY.  51 

on  the  verge  of  fainting  from  loss  of  "blood,  when  Dr.  Linn  and 
myself  applied  the  proper  restoratives,  and  soon,' as  we  thought, 
brought  him  around  all  right.  The  next  morning  I  went  into 
his  room  and  found  him  almost  dead.  I  informed  Dr.  Linn  of 
his  condition,  and  after  several  hours'  hard  work  we  restored 
him  to  consciousness.  Dr.  Linn  remarked  that  he  would  have 
been  dead  had  I  been  five  minutes  later  in  reaching  him. 

"My  next  meeting  with  IMr.  Davis  was  in  1846,  when  I  vis- 
ited Washington  as  surveyor-general  of  AVisconsin,  Iowa,  and 
Minnesota,  and  put  up  at  the  same  house  as  did  ]\Ir.  Davis  and 
his  accomplished  wife. 

''  One  day  as  I  sat  by  his  side  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives talking  to  him,  he  turned  suddenly  and  said:  'General, 
General  Dodge  says  you  are  financially  embarrassed  and  in 
need  of  money.'  I  answered  that  I  was,  there  being  a  judg- 
ment against  me  for  $400.  He  immediately  drew  a  draft  on 
his  friend  and  commission  merchant,  J.  U.  Payne,  of  New 
Orleans,  payable  to  my  order  for  $1,000',  I  then  wrote  out  and 
handed  him  my  note  for  $1,000,  with  interest  at  10  per  cent. 
He  tore  it  up  and  threw  it  on  the  floor,  saying:  'Jones,  when 
you  have  more  money  than  you  know  what  to  do  with  j^ou 
may  pay  this,  and  not  before.' 

"In  1853,  when  Franklin  Pierce  became  president,  I,  as  the 
first  Senator  from  Iowa,  recommended  my  old  friend  and  com- 
panion for  Secretary  of  War,  and  he  was  also  endorsed  by  the 
prominent  men  of  the  times. 

"In  ISGl,  while  I  was  minister  at  Bogota,  at  the  suggestion 
of  General  W.  S.  Harney,  I  wrote  a  letter  to  Jefferson  Davis, 
requesting  him  to  use  his  best  efforts  to  have  my  son  restored 
to  his  commission  as  lieutenant  in  the  Second  United  States 
cavalry,  he  having  resigned.  That  letter  was  intercepted  by 
W.  H.  Seward,  then  Secretary  of  State  under  Mr.  Lincoln.  I 
was  recalled,  and  on  my  arrival  was  given  a  diplomatic  dinner 
by  Seward.     Six  days  after  I  was  imprisoned  in  Fort  Lafayette, 


62  THJ^  DAVIS  MEMOBIAL   VOLUME. 

December  22,  on  a  telegram  sent  by  W.  H.  Seward  to  Colonel 
Kennedy,  chief  of  the  detective  force  in  New  York.  On  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1862,  I  was  released  by  order  of  Secretary  of  War 
Stanton,  who  informed  me  that  he  could  see  no  reason  why  I 
had  been  imprisoned." 

"You,  of  course,  have  vivid  recollections  of  your  college 
days  together.  What  were  Mr.  Davis's  distinguishing  traits  at 
college?" 

"At  college  Mr.  Davis  was  much  the  same  as  he  was  in  after 
life.  Always  gay  and  brimful  of  buoyant  spirits,  but  without 
the  smallest  tendency  toward  vice  or  immorality.  He  had 
that  innate  refinement  and  gentleness  that  distinguished  him 
through  life.  He  was  always  a  gentleman  in  the  highest  sense 
of  the  word.  Aside  from  the  high  moral  tone  and  unswerving 
devotion  to  conscience  which  characterized  his  whole  career? 
Mr.  Davis  was  always  too  gentle  and  refined  to  have  any  taste 
for  vice  or  immorality  in  any  form.  He  never  was  perceptibly 
under  the  influence  of  liquor  and  he  never  gambled. 

"This  statement  concerning  him,  though  based  primarily 
on  my  personal  knowledge  of  Mr.  Davis,  is  not  unsupported 
by  the  testimony  of  others  who  were  equally  intimate  with 
him. 

"About  four  years  and  a  half  ago,  I  paid  a  delightful  visit 
to  the  South,  where  I  divided  my  time  between  the  houses  of 
my  dear  old  friends  and  comrades,  Jefferson  Davis,  at  Beau- 
voir,  and  William  S.  Harney,  at  Pass  Christian.  One  day 
while  talking  to  General  Harney,  the  conversation  turned 
upon  a  canard  I  had  seen  in  a  western  newspaper  which  pro- 
fessed to  relate  an  incident  that  took  place  at  a  gaming  table 
at  which  Mr.  Davis  had  been  playing. 

" '  It  is  an  infamous,  cowardly  lie,'  shouted  General  Harney, 
in  his  vigorous,  impetuous  way.  'Why,  everybody  who  knows 
Jefferson  Davis  knows  that  he  never  gambled  in  his  life.  He 
always  looked  upon  gaming  with  especial  aversion.     Jefferson 


TUB  COLLEGE  BOY.  .53 

Davis  never  gambled  for  stakes  large  or  small  and  never  was 
under  the  influence  of  liquor  in  his  life.  I  wish  I  could  find 
the  man  who  told  that  story  and  I'd  make  him  swallow  it.'" 

"  General  Jones  also  alluded  to  the  story  of  Mr.  Davis's  elope- 
ment with  Miss  Knox  Taylor, 

"  Of  course,  the  story  of  the  elopement  was  a  ridiculous 
falsehood:  but  I  will  go  further  than  this  and  assure  you  that 
there  never  was  the  slightest  unpleasantness  between  Colonel 
Taylor  and  Lieutenant  Davis.  I  have  the  facts  from  II.  L. 
Dousman,  who  was  intimate  with  Colonel  Zach.  Taylor  when 
the  latter  was  stationed  at  Fort  Crawford.  When  Lieutenant 
Davis  proposed  for  the  hand  of  Miss  Knox  Taylor,  Colonel  Tay- 
lor said  to  Mr.  Dousman  that,  while  he  had  nothing  but  the 
kindliest  feeling  and  warmest  admiration  for  Mr.  Davis,  he  was 
in  a  general  way  oj)posed  to  having  his  daughter  marry  a 
soldier.  Nobody  better  than  he  knew  the  trials  to  which  a 
soldier's  life  was  subjected.  His  own  wife  and  daughter  had 
complained  so  bitterly  of  his  almost  constant  absence  from 
home  and  of  their  own  torturing  anxieties  for  his  safet}^,  he 
had  once  resolved  that  his  daughter  should  never  marry  a 
soldier  with  his  approval.  Aside  from  this,  however,  there 
was  no  reason  .why  the  proposal  of  Lieutenant  Davis  should 
not  meet  with  his  warmest  approbation." 

"General  Jones  left  Dubuque  on  Monday  night,  and  reaching 
here  at  11  o'clock  on  Thursday  night  he  went  at  once  to  the 
St.  Charles  Hotel,  and  knew  nothing  of  the  death  of  the  friend 
whom  he  had  traveled  so  far  to  see  till  yesterday  morning, 
when  ho  saw  the  announcement  in  the  newspapers.  Later  in 
the  day,  General  Jones  visited  the  Fenner  residence,  and 
though  J\lrs.  Davis  had  declined  to  see  any  one  she  unhesitat- 
ingly made  an  exception  in  iwor  of  so  old  and  dear  a  friend 
of  her  late  husband  as  General  Jones.  The  General  was  imme- 
diately ushered  into  the  darkened  room  where,  all  alone,  close 
beside   the  ashes  of  her  dead   husband,  sat  the  widow,  who 


51  THE  DA  I  'IS  MEMOEIA  L    VOL  UME. 

received  him  with  that  gentle  and  cordial  demeanor  that  ha? 
won  the  hearts  of  all  who  have  met  Mrs.  Davis.  After  a  long 
interview  General  Jones  withdrew,  promising  to  write  Mrs 
Davis  very  fully  the  reminiscences  of  Lieutenant  Davis,  and  his 
services  on  what  was  once  the  northwestern  frontier. 

''General  Jones,  though  eighty-five  years  old,  looks  vory  much 
younger.  Erect  and  soldier-like  in  bearing,  rather  spare  in 
form,  modest!}'  but  faultlessly  dressed,  he  is  essentially  a  gen- 
tleman of  the  good  old  school.  A  light,  elastic  step,  a  fresh, 
ruddy  complexion,  and  a  luxuriant  growth  of  silver-white  hair 
and  beard,  combine  to  make  General  Jones  a  striking  figure 
in  any  assembly  of  gentlemen.  He  will  remain  till  after  the 
funeral." 

The  Louisville  Courier  Journal  says : 

"  Judge  Peters,  of  Mount  Sterling,  and  the  late  Jefferson 
Davis  were  classmates  for  two  years  at  Transylvania.  The 
judge  has  set  down  some  recollections  of  the  Southern  states- 
man, though  it  is  more  than  sixty-five  years  since  they  saw 
each  other.     lie  says : 

"  AVhen  I  was  with  him  he  was  a  good  student,  always  pre- 
pared with  his  lessons,  very  respectful  and  polite  to  the  presi- 
dent and  professors.  I  never  heard  him  reprimanded  for  neg- 
lecting his  studies  or  for  misconduct  of  any  sort  during  his 
stay  at  the  university.  He  was  amiable,  prudent  and  kind  to 
all  with  whom  he  was  associated,  and  beloved  by  teachers  and 
students.  He  was  rather  taciturn  in  disposition.  He  was  of 
good  form,  indicating  a  good  constitution;  attractive  in 
appearance,  a  well-shaped  head,  and  of  manly  bearing,  espe- 
cially for  one  of  his  age.  He  did  not  often  engage  in  the 
sport  of  the  students,  which  was  playing  at  foot-ball,  perhaps 
because  he  did  not  choose  to  lose  the  time  from  his  studies." 


IV. 

THE  WEST  POINT  CADET. 

As  has  been  said  lie  left  Transylvania  hi  1824,  when  only 
16  years  old,  to  accept  an  appointment  as  cadet  at  the  United 
States  Military  Academy,  which  was  conferred  on  him  by 
President  Monroe,  through  Secretary  John  C.  Calhoun,  whose 
disciple  he  was  to  become,  and  with  whom  he  was  to  serve  in 
the  United  States  Senate. 

His  cadet  life  at  West  Point  presented  no  very  marked  char- 
acteristics, or  incidents,  except  that  it  brought  him  in  contact 
with  many  bright  young  fellows  who  were  afterwards  to  figure 
in  the  annals  of  the  army,  and  developed  his  own  manhood 
and  military  zeal. 

A  fellow-cadet  thus  wrote  of  him :  "  Jefferson  Davis  was  dis- 
tinguished in  the  corps  for  his  manly  bearing,  his  high-toned 
and  lofty  character.  His  figure  was  very  soldier-like  and 
rather  robust;  his  step  springy,  resembling  the  tread  of  an 
Indian  '  brave '  on  the  war  path." 

Cullom's  "  West  Point  Register  "  gives  the  names  of  his  class 
and  the  order  of  their  graduation  in  June,  1828,  as  follows: 

1.  Albert  E.  Church,  of  Connecticut ;  2.  Richard  C.  Tilgh- 
raan,  of  Maryland ;  3.  Hugh  W.  ]\Iercer,  of  Virginia ; 
4.  Robert  E,  Temple,  of  Vermont;  5.  Charles  0.  Collins,  of 
New  York ;  G.  I.  J.  Austin,  of  Massachusetts ;  7.  Edmund 
French,  of  Connecticut;  8.  Joseph  L.  Lock,  of  Maine; 
9.  George  E.  Chase,  of  Massachusetts ;  10.  John  F.  Lane,  born 
in  Kentucky,  appointed  from  Indiana ;  11.  William  Palmer, 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  appointed  from  Indiana;  12.  Thomas 

(55) 


58  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

B,  Adams,  of  Massachusetts ;  13.  Robert  E.  Clary,  of  Massa- 
chusetts ;  14.  Robert  Sevier,  of  Tennessee ;  15.  William  "W. 
Mather,  of  Connecticut ;  16.  Enos  G.  Mitchell,  of  Connecticut ; 
17.  James  F.Izard,  of  Pennsylvania;  18.  Thomas  Cutt,  born 
in  the  District  of  Columbia,  appointed  from  Maine;  19.  Wil- 
liam H.  Baker,  born  in  Michigan,  appointed  from  Vermont ; 
20  James  L.  Thompson,  of  Tennessee ;  21.  Gustave  S.  Rous- 
seau, of  Louisiana;  22.  Benjamin  W.  Kinsman,  of  Maine; 
23.  Jefferson  Davis,  born  in  Kentucky,  appointed  from  Mis- 
sissippi; 24.  William  L.  E.  Morrison,  Missouri,  appointed 
from  Illinois ;  25.  Samuel  K.  Cobb,  South  Carolina,  appointed 
from  Alabama ;  26.  Samuel  Torrence,  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
appointed  from  Ohio;  27.  Amos  Foster,  of  New  Hampshire ; 
28.  Thomas  F.  Drayton,  of  South  Carolina ;  29.  Thomas  C. 
Brockaway,  of  Connecticut ;  30.  John  R.  B.  Gardenier,  of  New 
York;  31.  Crafts  J.  Wright,  New  York,  appointed  from  Ohio; 
32.  James  W.  Penrose,  of  Missouri;  33.  Philip  R.  Van  Wyck, 
of  New  Jersey. 

The  best  sketch  of  ]\Ir.  Davis  of  all  of  the  newspaper 
sketches  which  we  have  seen,  appeared  in  the  New  Orleans 
Times-Democrat,  and  it  gives  so  admirable  a  statement  of  his 
associations  at  West  Point,  and  his  career  as  a  young  officer, 
that  we  cannot  do  better  than  to  quote  from  it  freely : 

"Among  his  classmates  at  West  Point  were  Albert  E.  Church, 
afterward  distinguished  as  a  mathematician  and  for  many 
years  professor  of  that  department  at  West  Point ;  Hugh  W. 
Mercer,  and  Thomas  F^  Drayton,  who  became  general  officers 
in  the  Confederate  army,  and  J.  R.  B.  Gardenier,  who,  in 
addition  to  no  little  active  service  in  the  army,  had  achieved 
some  reputation  in  light  literature  before  his  death  in  1850. 
Several  of  the  class  died  very  young— among  them  James  F. 
Izard,  an  intimate  friend  oi  Davis,  and  an  officer  of  great 
promise,  wto  died  of  wounds  received  in  a  skirmish  with  the 
Indians  while  yet  a  subaltern,  in  1836,  during  the  Seminole 


THE  WEST  POINT  CADET.  67 

war.  With  the  exception,  however,  of  JefFerson  Davis  himself, 
but  few  of  his  class  have  attained  special  eminence — none  any 
brilliant  or  historic  rej)utation — either  in  civil  or  military- 
pursuits, 

"And  yet — although  now  long  recognized  s.^ facile  i^rinceps 
among  his  fellow-cadets  of  that  period — his  class  rank  in  the 
academy  was  relatively  low.  He  graduated  in  1828,  No.  23, 
in  a  class  of  thirty-three.  It  would  be  interesting  to  know 
(what,  perhaps  the  records  of  the  academy  might  show,)  in 
what  particular  departments  of  study  or  discipline  the  defi- 
ciencies were  found,  which  operated  to  reduce  his  academical 
rank. 

"  Although,  as  above  stated,  Mr.  Davis's  own  class  has  furn- 
ished but  few  distinguished  names,  yet  among  his  associates  at 
AVest  Point,  in  the  classes  above  and  below  him,  were  many 
who  have  since  become  famous.  Alexander  Dallas  Bache  was 
three  years  ahead  of  him,  and  graduated;  first  of  his  class,  in 
1825.  Of  the  same  date  were  Alexander  H,  Bowman,  who, 
as  an  engineer  officer,  had  a  leading  part  in  the  construction 
of  Fort  Sumter,  and  was  afterwards  superintendent  of  the 
Military  Academy ;  Benjamin  Huger,  major-general  in  the 
Confederate  army,  and  Robert  Anderson,  who  made  the 
memorable  defense  of  Fort  Sumter  in  18G1. 

"Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  the  lifelong  personal  friend  of 
Davis,  and  regarded  by  him  as  the  ablest  of  Confederate  gen- 
erals, was  an  older  man  by  five  years,  but  only  two  years  his 
senior  in  cadetship,  graduating  number  eight  of  his  class,  in 
182G.  In  the  same  class  of  1826  were  Samuel  P.  Heintzelman, 
INIartin  P.  Parks,  afterwards  an  eminent  clergyman,  chaplain 
and  professor  at  AVest  Point,  Amos  P.  Eaton,  late  Commissary- 
General  of  the  United  States  army,  Silas  Casey,  Leonidas  Polk, 
the  warrior-bishop,  Gabriel  J.  Hains  and  Philip  St.  George 
Cooke  were  among  the  graduates  of  the  class  of  1827,  imme- 
diately senior  to  that  cf  Davis. 


58  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

"Robert  E.  Lee  and  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  the  most  illustrious 
of  his  associates,  though  older  by  birth,  were  both  his  juniors 
at  West  Point  by  one  year.  Among  others  of  the  three  classes 
junior  to  his  own  were  0.  M.  Mitchell,  more  distinguished  in 
after  years  as  an  astronomer  than  as  a  general  officer  of  the 
Federal  army  during  the  late  war;  Charles  AV.  Hockley, 
Francis  Vinton  and  William  N.  Pendleton — all  afterward 
eminent  clergymen  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  the  last  named 
brigadier- general  of  artillery  in  the  Confederate  army;  Sidney 
Burbank,  William  Hoffman,  Albert  G.  Blanchard,  of  Louisiana, 
a  general  officer  of  the  Confederate  army;  Caleb  C.  Sibley, 
Theophilus  H.  Llolmes,  William  S.  Basingen  (a  brilliant  young 
officer,  who  graduated  second  in  the  class  of  1830,  and  was 
killed  in  the  massacre  of  Dade's  command  by  the  Seminoles 
in  1835);  John  Bankhead  Magruder  ('Prince  John,' of  the 
United  States  army  before  the  war  and  afterward  of  the  Con- 
federate army);  Albert  T.  Bledsoe,  Assistant  Secretary  of  War 
in  the  Confederate  government,  and  eminent  in  theology, 
literature  and  political  science;  Lloyd  J.  Beall,  Pobert  C. 
Buchanan,  George  W.  Patten,  soldier  and  j)oet;  Henry  Clay, 
Jr.,  who  was  killed  at  Buena  Vista ;  Samuel  C.  Hidgely  and 
George  H.  Talcott,  both  artillery  officers  of  much  distinction 
in  the  Seminole  and  Mexican  wars;  Andrew  A.  Hum- 
phreys, Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  Army;  William  11.  Emory, 
Lucius  B.  Northrop,  Confederate  Commissary-General  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  late  war;  Samuel  P.  Curtis,  Charles 
Whittlesey,  geologist,  author  and  journalist,  and  others  of  more 
or  less  note." 


V. 

THE  YOUNG  OFFICER. 

"On  his  graduation  young  Davis  (then  twenty  years  of  age) 
was  breveted  second  lieutenant  in  the  Sixth  regiment  of  infan- 
try and  soon  after  transferred  to  the  First  infantry,  with  a  full 
commission  of  the  same  grade. 

"Mr.  Davis  gave  in  private  conversation  an  amusing  account 
of  his  first  report  for  duty  in  active  service.  Being  (as  he  said) 
something  of  a  martinet,  he  arrayed  himself  in  full  uniform 
and  made  his  way  to  the  regimental  headquarters.  The  colo- 
nel and  lieutenant-colonel  being  both  absent — or  perhaps  one 
or  both  of  those  positions  being  vacant — the  command  of  the 
regiment  had  devolved  upon  Major  (afterward  colonel  and 
brevet-major-general)  Bennett  Riley.  The  major  was  not  in,  and 
the  young  officer  was  directed  to  the  quarters  of  the  commis- 
sary to  find  him.  Repairing  to  the  place  indicated,  he  found 
Major  Riley  alone,  seated  at  a  table,  with  a  pack  of  cards  before- 
him,  intently  occupied  in  a  game  of  solitaire.  In  response  to 
Davis's  formal  salute,  he  nodded,  invited  him  to  take  a  seat 
and  continued  his  game.  Looking  up  after  a  few  minutes,  he 
inquired,  'Young  man,  do  you  play  solitaire?  Finest  game  in 
the  world !  You  may  cheat  as  much  as  you  please,  and  have 
nobody  to  detect  it.' 

"Major  Riley,  who  was  a  blunt  soldier  of  the  old  school, 
afterward  became  very  fond  of  the  young  lieutenant,  habitually 
addressing  him  when  off  duty  as  'My  son!'  They  met  eigh- 
teen years  afterward,  when  Davis,  with  his  regiment  of  Missis- 
sippians,  joined  the  army  of  General  Taylor  on  the  Mexican 

(59) 


60  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

frontier.  'Well,  my  son/  said  the  old  soldier,  'here  we  are 
again.  Good  luck  to  you,  my  boy!  As  for  me — six  feet  of 
Mexican  soil,  or  a  yellow  sash  !'  He  won  the  yellow  sash — the 
distinctive  mark  of  a  general  officer — by  a  double  right,  and 
left  his  share  of  the  Mexican  soil  unoccupied. 

*'In  this  latter  regiment  he  served  for  several  years,  chiefly 
in  what  was  then  the  northwestern  frontier.  During  this  period 
occurred  the  'Black  Hawk  war,'  in  both  campaigns  of  which 
he  took  an  active  part.  The  surrender  of  Black  Hawk,  which 
closed  the  war,  in  1832,  although  actually  made  to  a  party  of 
AVinnebago  Indians,  allies  of  the  whites,  was  tendered  to 
them  in  order  to  avoid  capture  by  a  detachment  under  com- 
mand of  Lieutenant  Davis,  who  had  pursued  Black  Hawk's 
party  to  an  island  in  the  Mississippi  and  cut  off  their  intended 
retreat  to  the  western  bank  of  that  river.  Black  Hawk  and 
his  principal  warriors  were  retained  for  some  time  as  hostages. 
They  were  sent  to  St.  Louis  under  charge  of  Lieutenant  Davis, 
whose  soldierly  bearing  and  considerate  courtesy  of  treatment 
made  a  deeply  favorable  impression  upon  the  captive  chief 

"  The  services  of  Lieutenant  Davis  in  these  operations  were 
handsomely  recognized  by  his  official  superiors,  but  his  own 
often  avowed  opinion  was  that  the  true  heroes  of  that  so-called 
'War'  were  the  Indians,  both  men  and  women,  to  whose  cour- 
age, fortitude,  endurance  of  hardships,  fertility  of  resources, 
and  constancy  of  purpose  under  the  most  appalling  trials,  diffi- 
culties and  privations,  he  bore  witness  in  terms  of  unqualified 
admiration. 

"  To  this  period  of  his  life  belongs  the  mention  of  a  severe 
test  to  which  his  fidelity  to  principle  was  subjected — or  at  least 
threatened  with  subjection — and  to  which  he  himself  some- 
times referred  as  an  illustration  of  the  early  formation  of  those 
convictions  which  governed  his  political  course  in  maturer 
years.  The  circumstance  derives  its  chief  interest  from  the 
fact  that  we  are  enabled  to  present  it  in  Mr.  Davis's  own  words, 


TITE  YOUNG  OFFICER.  .61 

as  written  in  a  manuscript  never  heretofore  publisliecl.  In 
this  he  says : 

"'The  nullification  by  South  Carolina  in  1832  of  certain 
acts  of  Congress,  the  consequent  proclamation  of  President 
Jackson,  and  the  'Force  Bill'  soon  afterwards  enacted,  presented 
the  probability  that  the  troops  of  the  United  States  would  be 
employed  to  enforce  the  execution  of  the  laws  in  that  State, 
and  it  was  supposed  that  the  regiment  to  which  I  belonged 
would  in  that  event  be  ordered  to  South  Carolina. 

'"By  education,  by  association,  and  by  preference,  I  was  a 
soldier,  then  regarding  that  profession  as  my  vocation  for  life. 
Yet,  looking  the  issue  squarely  in  the  face,  I  chose  the  alterna- 
tive of  abandoning  my  profession  rather  than  be  employed  in 
the  subjugation  of,  or  coercion  of,  a  State  of  the  Union,  and  had 
fully  determined  and  was  prepared  to  resign  my  commission 
immediately  on  the  occurrence  of  such  a  contingency.  The 
compromise  of  1833  prevented  the  threatened  calamity, 
and  the  sorrowful  issue  was  deferred  until  a  day  more  drear, 
which  forced  upon  me  the  determination  of  the  question  of 
State  sovereignty  or  federal  supremacy — of  independence  or 
submission  to  unsurpation.' 

"  The  language  of  this  brief  statement  of  the  case  combines 
the  expression  of  resolute  and  inflexible  adherence  to  duty, 
with  a  touching  and  almost  pathetic  sense  of  the  magnitude  of 
the  responsibility  involved  and  of  the  sacrifice  required,  the 
unaffected  sincerity  of  which  will  be  doubted  by  none  who 
knew  the  character  of  Jefferson  Davis. 

"  Early  in  the  year  of  1833  Lieutenant  Davis,  having  been 
selected  as  one  of  the  officers  of  the  newly  organized  First  regi- 
ment of  dragoons,  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant 
and  transferred  to  that  regiment,  in  which  he  was  immediately 
assigned  to  duty  as  adjutant.  In  this  capacity  he  took  part 
in  an  expedition  of  somewhat  extensive  scope  among  the 
Indian  tribes  of  the  great  Western  plains,  some  of  whom  were 


62  THE  DA  VIS  MEMOlilAL   VOL  UME. 

disaffected  or  unfriendly.  The  object  of  the  expedition,  how- 
ever, was  to  avert  rather  than  to  suppress  hostiHties,  by  exhib- 
iting to  them  something  of  the  military  power  of  the  United 
States  and  cuUivating  their  I'espect  and  good-wiiL 

"After  some  further  service,  chiefly  in  garrison  crty  on  the 
northwestern  frontier,  Lieutenant  Davis  resigned  his  commis- 
sion in  the  army  in  June,  1835,  to  engage  in  cotton  planting 
in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  About  the  same  time  he  married 
Miss  Sarah  Knox  Taylor,  daughter  of  Colonel  Zachary  Taylor, 
afterwards  President  of  the  United  States. 

"[There  is  no  truth  whatever  i  ihe  often  repeated  story 
that  this  marriage  was  effected  in  opposition  to  the  wishes  of 
the  young  ladj^'s  family,  by  means  of  an  elopement.  The 
only  semblance  of  foundation  fur  it  is  the  fact  that  a  breach  of 
friendly  relations  had  existed  for  some  time  between  Colonel 
Taylor  and  Lieutenant  Davis.  Its  origin  was  in  a  purely 
military  q^'estion,  which  had  arisen  between  fhe  former  as 
commandei  md  the  latter  as  adjutant,  of  a  post.  It  involved 
nothing  ail  .;ting  the  personal  character  of  either,  although  it 
was  serious  enougli  to  cause  a  suspension  of  personal  inter- 
course between  them  Mr.  Davis  wrote  to  Colonel  Taylor,  in- 
forming Iiim  of  the  engujement  and  intended  marriage.  The 
3'Oung  lady  was  legally  of  age,  and  his  consent  was  not  for- 
mally f.sked,  but  no  opposition  was  expressed.  Colonel  Taylor 
was  a  widower,  on  duty  as  commander  of  a  frontier  post,  but 
t^e  Diarriage  took  place  at  the  Ji^  ise  of  a  near  kinswoman  of 
the  bride,  in  Kentucky,  openly  and  without  concealment,  and 
in  the  presence  of  several  friends  and  relations  of  her  family.]" 


VL 

IN  RETIREMENT. 

The  retirement  of  the  young  officer  to  the  shades  of  private 
life  seemed  to  his  friends  at  the  time  the  throwing  away  of  a 
splendid  opportunity,  if  not  the  cutting  sliort  of  a  brilliant 
career.  But  it  was  really  the  entering  of  the  best  school  in 
which  to  make  careful  preparation  for  the  grand  life  before 
him,  and  his  quiet  years  of  study  and  of  thought  at  Briarfield 
were  the  necessary  prelude  to  those  after  years  of  active  par- 
ticipation in  the  most  stirring  debates  of  Congress,  and  the  most 
stupendous  events  ever  enacted  on  this  continent. 

The  facile  pen  and  accurate  statement  of  the  writer  above 
quoted  may  best  give  the  story  of  his  retirement,  and  of  the 
circumstances  under  which  he  afterwards  entered  public  life: 

"Briarfield,  the  estate  to  which  Mr.  Davis  retired  on  his 
marriage  and  resignation  from  the  army,  is  situated  in  War- 
ren county,  Mississippi,  on  the  Mississippi  river,  some  twenty 
miles  or  more  below  Vicksburg.  It  was  generally  understood 
to  be  a  gift  from  his  elder  brother,  Joseph  Emory  Davis,  from 
whose  larger  estate,  'Hurricane,'  it  had  been  cut  ofi"  for  the 
purpose.  It  was  in  a  remote  and  isolated  neighborhood,  but 
the  young  ex-soldier  and  planter  applied  himself  with  assid- 
uity to  its  cultivation  and  improvement. 

"  Mr.  Davis's  wife  died  a  few  months  after  marriage.  After 
this  misfortune  he  lived  for  some  years  in  great  seclusion  and 
retirement.  His  brother  was  his  only  habitual  associate. 
This  brother  was  many  years  his  senior,  being  the  oldest,  as 
Jefferson  was  the  youngest,  of  the  ten  children  of  their  parents. 

(63)^ 


64  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

A  warm  attaclimenr  existed  between  them.  Jefferson  Davis, 
in  tlie  unpublished  memoranda  already  referred  to,  speaks  of 
him  as  having  stood  in  loco  parentis  with  regard  to  himself  after 
the  death  of  their  father,  which  occurred  in  the  boyhood  of 
the  younger  son,  and  adds,  perhaps  with  something  of  frater- 
nal partiality:  'He  was  a  profound  lawyer,  a  wise  man,  a  bold 
thinker,  a  zealous  advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  constitu- 
tion, as  understood  by  its  founders,  with  a  wide-spreading 
humanity,  which  manifested  itself  especially  in  a  patriarchal 
care  of  the  many  negroes  dependent  upon  him,  not  merely  for 
the  supply  of  their  physical  wants,  but  also  for  their  moral 
and  mental  elevation,  with  regard  to  which  he  bad  more  hope 
than  most  men  of  his  large  experience.  To  him,  materially, 
as  well  as  intellectually,  I  am  more  indebted  than  to  all  other 
men.' 

"  These  years  of  retirement  afforded  also  large  opportuni- 
ties for  reading,  in  the  course  of  which  the  practical  details  of 
his  West  Point  education  and  earlier  militar}^  pursuits  were 
supplemented  by  a  wider  and  more  liberal  range  of  studies, 
and  by  the  acquisition  of  a  store  of  general  information, 
which  were  an  admirable  outfit  for  his  subsequent  career  as  a 
statesman." 


VII. 

HIS  ENTRANCE  INTO  POLITICS. 

"  It  was  in  1843,  when  35  years  of  age,  and  eight  years  aftei 
his  resignation  from  the  army,  that  Mr.  Davis  was  somewhat 
sudclenl}'-  and  unexpectedly  called  from  his  retirement  to  take 
an  active  part  in  politics,  in  the  service  of  the  democratic  (or 
State  rights)  party,  as  a  candidate  for  the  representation  of  his 
county  (Warren)  in  the  legislature  of  Mississippi.  His  own 
account  of  the  circumstances  is,  for  several  reasons,  of  special 
interest.     We  give  it  in  his  own  words : 

"'The  canvass  had  advanced  to  a  period  within  one  week  of 
the  election,  when  the  democrats  became  dissatisfied  with  their 
candidate  and  resolved  to  withdraw  him,  and  I  was  requested 
to  take  his  place.  The  whigs  had  a  decided  majority  in  the 
county,  and  there  were  two  whig  candidates  against  the  one 
democrat.  When  I  was  announced,  one  of  the  whig  candi- 
dates withdrew,  which  seemed  to  render  my  defeat  certain;  so^ 
at  least,  I  regarded  it.  Our  opponents  must  have  thought 
otherwise,  for  they  put  into  the  field  for  the  canvass—though 
himself  not  a  candidate — the  greatest  popular  orator  of  the 
State — it  is  not  too  much  to  say  the  greatest  of  hi?  day — Sar- 
gent S.  Prentiss;  and  my  first  public  speech  was  made  in  oppo- 
sition to  him.  This  led  to  an  incident  perhaps  worthy  of 
mention. 

"  'An  arrangement  was  made  by  our  respective  parties  for  a 
debate  between  Mr.  Prentiss  and  myself  on  the  day  of  election, 
each  party  to  be  allowed  fifteen  minutes  alternately.  Before 
the  day  appointed  I  met  Mr.  Prentiss  to  agree  upon  the  ques- 

(66) 


ms  ENTRANCE  INTO  POLITICS.  67 

tions  to  be  discussed,  eliminating  all  those  with  regard  to  which 
there  was  no  difference  between  us,  although  they  might  be 
involved  in  the  canvass.  Among  these  was  one  which  had 
already  been  decided  by  the  legislature  of  Mississippi,  and  had 
thus  become  in  some  measure  an  historical  question,  but  which 
was  still  the  subject  of  political  discussion,  viz. :  that  of  'repu- 
diation.' On  this  question  there  was  a  slight  difference  between 
us.  He  held  that  the  'Union  bank  bonds  '  constituted  a  debt 
of  the  State.  I  believed  that  they  were  issued  unconstitution- 
ally, but  that,  as  the  fundamental  law  of  the  State  authorized 
it  to  be  issued,  the  question  of  debt  or  no  debt  was  one  to  be 
determined  by  the  courts ;  and  if  the  bonds  should  be  adjudged 
to  be  a  debt  of  the  State,  I  was  in  favor  of  paying  them.  As. 
therefore,  we  were  agreed  with  regard  to  the  principle  that  the 
State  might  create  a  debt,  and  that  in  such  case  the  people  are 
bound  to  pay  it,  there  was  no  such  difference  between  us  as  to 
require  a  discussion  of  the  so-called  question  of  'repudiation,' 
which  turned  upon  the  assumption  that  a  State  could  not 
create  a  debt,  or,  in  the  phraseology  of  the  period,  that  one 
generation  could  not  impose  such  obligations  upon  another. 

'"There  was  another  set  of  obligations  known  as  the  'Plan- 
ters' bank  bonds,'  the  legality  of  which  I  never  doubted,  and 
for  which  I  thought  the  legislature  was  bound  to  make  timely 
provision. 

'"To  return  to  the  incident  spoken  of.  Mr.  Prentiss  and  I 
met  at  the  court-house' on  the  day  of  the  election,  improvised 
a  stand  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  up  which  the  voters  passed  to 
the  polling  room,  and  there  spent  the  day  in  discussion.  There 
was  but  one  variation  from  the  terms  originally  agreed  upon. 
Mr.  Prentiss  having  said  that  he  could  not  always  condense 
his  argument  so  as  fully  to  state  it  within  fifteen  minutes,  I 
consented  that  the  time  should  be  extended,  provided  he  would 
strictly  confine  himself  to  the  point  at  issue.  He  adliered 
tenaciously  to  the  limitation  thus  imposed,  argued  closely  and 


6S  TBE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

powerfully,  and  impressed  me  with  his  capacity  for  analysis 
and  logical  induction  more  deeply  than  any  other  effort  that  I 
ever  knew  him  to  make. 

"  'The  result  of  the  election,  as  anticipated,  was  my  defeat. 
As  this  was  the  onl^^  occasion  on  which  I  was  ever  a  candi- 
date for  the  legislature  of  Mississippi,  it  may  be  seen  how 
utterly  unfounded  was  the  allegation  that  attributed  to  me 
any  part  in  the  legislative  enactment  known  as  the  *  Act  of 
Kepudiation.' " 

"  To  this  statement  it  may  be  added  that  not  only  was  it 
Mr.  Davis's  first  appearance  in  the  political  arena  as  a  candi- 
date for  the  Legislature,  subsequent  to  the  repudiation  of  the 
bonds,  but  that  he  never,  at  any  time,  before  or  afterward,  held 
any  civil  office,  legislative,  executive  or  judicial,  in  the  State 
government.  Furthermore,  that  his  supposed  sympathy  with 
the  advocates  of  the  payment  of  the  debt  by  the  State  was 
actually  (though  ineffectually)  employed  among  the  repudia- 
tors  as  an  objection  to  his  election  to  Congress  in  1845.  The 
idea  of  attaching  any  share  of  responsibility  to  him  for  the 
repudiation  of  the  bonds  was  of  later  origin.  In  his  latter 
years  he  felt,  and  sometimes  expressed,  strong  indignation  at 
the  remark  of  General  Scott  (in  a  note  to  his  autobiography, 
vol.  I,  page  148,)  relative  to  the  '  Mississippi  bonds,  repudiated 
mainly  by  ]\Ir.  Jefferson  Davis.'  He  spoke  in  terms  of  still 
severer  censure  of  the  late  Robert  J.  Walker,  whom  he 
believed  to  have  propagated  the  same  calumny  while  finan- 
cial agent  of  the  United  States  in  Europe  during  the  war, 
although  he  was  personally  familiar  with  all  the  facts  of  the 
true  history  of  the  transaction. 

"The  political  career  of  ]\Ir.  Davis  was  now  fairly  begun, 
and  whatever  reluctance  or  hesitancy  he  may  have  shown  in 
entering  upon  it,  once  begun,  it  was  pursued  with  character- 
istic ardor.  In  1844  he  made  an  extensive  canvass  of  the 
State  as  a  candidate  for  the  electorial  college  on  the  Democratio 


HIS  ENTRANCE  INTO  POLITICS,  9A 

ticket  (which  was  elected),  and  his  ability  as  a  public  speaker 
became  generally  known  to  the  people  of  Mississippi. 

"In  February,  1845,  he  contracted  a  second  marriage  with 
Miss  Varina  Howell,  a  daughter  of  William  B.  Howell,  Esq., 
of  Natchez. 

"  In  the  course  of  the  same  year  he  was  elected  to  Congress 
(as  a  representative  from  the  State  "at  large")  and  took  his 
seat  in  the  House  soon  after  the  opening  of  the  first  session  of 
the  Twenty-ninth  Congress,  in  December,  1845. 

"This  was  the  first  session  of  Congress  under  Mr.  Polk's 
administration,  and  several  questions  of  serious  importance 
presented  themselves  for  consideration.  Among  these  were 
that  of  the  modification  of  the  tariff  of  1842,  the  '  Oregon  ques- 
tion,' and  that  of  the  relations  with  Mexico,  then  involved  in 
difficulty  growing  out  of  the  annexation  of  Texas,  and  ulti- 
mately resulting  in  war.  In  all  these  Mr.  Davis  manifested  a 
lively  interest.  He  advocated  a  tariff  based  upon  the  necessi- 
ties of  the  government  only,  and  favored  ad  valorem  rather  than 
specific  duties.  Both  of  these  principles  were  recognized,  if 
not  fully  and  exclusively  applied,  as  the.basis  of  the  tariff  of 
1846,  in  the  framing  of  which  he  bore  a  more  influential  part 
than  usually  falls  to  the  share  of  so  young  a  member. 

"He  took  a  conspicuous  part  also  in  the  debates  on  the  two 
questions  oi  foreign  policy  above  referred  to.  With  regard  to 
Oregon  he  differed  from  the  administration  and  from  the 
majority  of  his  political  associates,  without,  however,  fully 
coinciding  with  the  opposition.  He  advocated  a  continuance 
of  the  joint  occupancy  of  the  disputed  territory  and  opposed 
the  proposition  to  give  notice  fco  Great  Britain  of  a  termina- 
tion of  the  treaty  which  authorized  it.  In  the  course  of  a 
speech  on  this  question  he  gave  eloquent  expression  to  that 
stiong  devotion  to  the  principles  of  the  original  union  and 
repugnance  to  everything  savoring  of  sectional  feeling,  which 
eminently  distinguished  his  whole  political  career. 


70  TH^  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

"  Speaking  for  the  South,  he  said :  '  As  we  have  shared  in  the 
toils,  so  we  have  gloried  in  the  triumphs  of  our  country.  In 
our  hearts,  as  in  our  histor}^  are  mingled  the  names  of  Con- 
cord, and  Camden,  and  Saratoga,  and  Lexington,  and  Platts- 
burg,  and  Chippewa,  and  Erie,  and  Moultrie,  and  New  Orleans, 
and  Yorktown,  and  Bunker  Hill.  Grouped  all  together,  they 
form  a  record  of  the  triumphs  of  our  cause,  a  monument  of 
the  common  glory  of  our  Union.  What  Southern  man  would 
wish  it  less  by  one  of  the  Northern  names  of  which  it  is  com- 
posed? Or  where  is  he  who,  gazing  on  the  obelisk  that  rises 
from  the  ground  made  sacred  by  the  blood  of  AVarren,  would 
feel  his  patriot's  pride  suppressed  by  local  jealousy?^" 


VIII, 

THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 

The  annexation  of  Texas,  which  Mr.  Davis  heartily  favored, 
and  the  subsequent  events  leading  up  to  the  Mexican  war  had 
elicited  the  deepest  interest  of  the  young  statesman. 

He  had  ably  advocated  the  recognition  of  the  young 
republic  of  Texas,  and  its  reception  as  a  State  of  the  Union 
by  an  enactment  of  Congress,  without  regard  to  the  vv'ishes  or 
claims  of  Mexico.  He  heartily  favored  an  aggressive  policy 
on  the  Rio  Grande,  and  was  in  warm  sympathy  with  "  Old 
Rough  and  Ready  "  in  the  bold  and  successful  policy  which 
he  pursued. 

On  the  28th  of  May,  1846,  he  delivered  the  following  speech 
in  favor  of  a  resolution  of  thanks  to  General  Taylor  and  his 
army  for  the  successes  they  bad  recently  gained  in  operations 
on  the  Rio  Grande  i 

"  As  a  friend  to  the  army,  he  rejoiced  at  the  evidence,  now 
afforded,  of  a  disposition  in  this  House  to  deal  justly,  and  to  feel 
generously  toward  those  to  whom  the  honor  of  our  flag  has 
been  intrusted.  Too  often  and  too  long  had  we  listened  to 
harsh  and  invidious  reflections  upon  our  gallant  little  army 
and  the  accomplished  officers  who  command  it.  A  partial 
opportunity  had  been  offered  to  exhibit  their  soldierly  quali- 
ties in  their  true  light,  and  he  trusted  these  aspersions  were 
hushed — hushed  now  forever.  As  an  American,  whose  heart 
promptly  responds  to  all  which  illustrates  our  national  charac- 
ter, and   adds  new  glory  to  our  national  name,  he  rejoiced 

with  exceeding  joy  at  the  recent  triumph  of  our  arms.     Yet 
n 


72  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME, 

it  is  no  more  than  he  expected  from  the  gallant  soldiers  who 
hold  our  post  upon  the  Rio  Grande — no  more  than,  when 
occasion  offers,  they  will  achieve  again.  It  was  the  triumph 
of  American  courage,  professional  skill,  and  that  j)atriotic  pride 
which  blooms  in  the  breast  of  our  educated  soldier,  and  which 
droops  not  under  the  withering  scoff  of  political  revilers. 

"These  men  will  feel,  deeply  feel,  the  expression  of  your 
gratitude.  It  will  nerve  their  hearts  in'  the  hour  of  future 
conflicts,  to  know  that  their  country  honors  and  acknowledges 
their  devotion.  It  will  shed  a  solace  on  the  dying  moments 
of  those  who  fallp  to  be  assured  their  country  mourns  their 
loss.  This  is  the  meed  for  which  the  soldier  bleeds  and  dies- 
This  he  will  remember  long  after  the  paltry  pittance  of  one 
month's  extra  pay  has  been  forgotten. 

"  Beyond  this  expression  of  the  nation's  thanks,  he  liked  the 
principle  of  the  proposition  offered  by  the  gentleman  from 
South  Carolina.  We  have  a  pension  system  providing  for  the 
disabled  soldier,  but  he  seeks  well  and  wisely  to  extend  it  to 
all  who  may  be  wounded,  however  slightly.  It  is  a  reward 
offered  to  those  who  seek  for  danger,  who  first  and  foremost 
plunge  into  the  fight.  It  has  been  this  incentive,  extended  so 
as  to  cover  all  feats  of  gallantry,  that  has  so  often  crowned  the 
British  arms  with  victory,  and  caused  their  prowess  to  be 
recognized  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  It  was  the  sure  and 
high  reward  of  gallantry,  the  confident  reliance  upon  their 
nation's  gratitude,  which  led  Napoleon's  armies  over  Europe, 
conquering  and  to  conquer;  and  it  was  these  influences  which, 
in  an  earlier  time,  rendered  the  Koman  arms  invincible,  and 
brought  their  eagle  back  victorious  from  every  land  on  which 
it  gazed.  Sir,  let  not  that  parsimony  (for  he  did  not  deem  it 
economy)  prevent  us  from  adopting  a  system  which  in  war 
will  add  so  much  to  the  efficiency  of  troops..  Instead  of  seek- 
ing to  fill  the  ranks  of  your  army  by  increased  pay,  let  the 
soldier  feel  that  a  liberal  pension  will  relieve  him  from  thg 


THE  MEXICAN  WAR.  73 

fear  of  want  in  the  event  of  disability,  provide  for  his  family 
in  the  event  of  deatli,  and  tliat  he  wins  his  way  to  gratitude 
and  the  reward  of  his  countrymen  by  periling  all  for  honor  in 
the  field. 

"  The  achievement  which  we  now  propose  to  honor,  richly 
deserves  it.  Seldom,  sir,  in  the  annals  of  military  history  has 
there  been  one  in  which  desperate  daring  and  military  skill 
were  more  happily  combined.  The  enemy  selected  his  own 
ground,  and  united  to  the  advantage  of  a  strong  position  a 
numerical  majority  of  three  to  one.  Driven  from  his  first 
position  by  an  attack  in  which  it  is  hard  to  say  whether  pro- 
fessional skill  or  manly  courage  is  to  be  more  admired,  he 
retired  and  posted  his! artillery  on  a  narrow  defile,  to  sweep  the 
ground  over  which  our  troops  were  compelled  to  pass.  There, 
posted  in  strength  three  times  greater  than  our  own,  they 
waited  the  approach  of  our  gallant  little  army. 

"General  Taylor  knew  the  danger  and  destitution  of  the 
band  he  left  to  hold  his  camp  opposite  Matamoras,  and  he 
paused  for  no  regular  approaches,  but  opened  his  field  artillery, 
and  dashed  with  sword  and  bayonet  on  the  foe.  A  single 
charge  left  him  master  of  their  battery,  and  the  number  of 
slain  attests  the  skill  and  discipline  of  his  army.  Mr.  Davis 
referred  to  a  gentleman  who,  a  short  time  since,  expressed 
extreme  distrust  in  our  army,  and  poured  out  the  vials  of  his 
denunciation  upon  the  graduates  of  the  Military  Academy. 
He  hoped  now  the  gentleman  will  withdraw  these  denuncia- 
tions; that  now  he  will  learn  the  value  of  military  science ; 
that  he  will  see,  in  the  location,  the  construction,  the  defenses 
of  the  bastioned  field-works  opposite  INIatamoras,  the  utility, 
the  necessity  of  a  military  education.  Let  him  compare  the 
few  men  who  held  that  with  the  army  who  assailed  it;  let  him 
mark  the  comparative  safety  with  which  they  stood  within  that 
temporary  work  ;  let  him  consider  why  the  guns  along  its 
ramparts  were  preserved,  whilst  they  silenced  the  batteries  of 


74  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

the  enemy ;  why  that  intrenchment  stands  unharmed  by 
Mexican  shot,  whilst  its  guns  have  crumbled  the  stone  walls 
in  Matamoras  to  the  ground,  and  then  say  whether  he  believes 
a  blacksmith  or  tailor  could  have  secured  the  same  results. 
He  trusted  the  gentleman  would  be  convinced  that  arms,  like 
every  occupation,  requires  to  be  studied  before  it  can  be  under- 
stood ;  and  from  these  things  to  which  he  had  called  his 
attention,  he  will  learn  the  power  and  advantage  of  military 
science.  He  would  make  but  one  other  allusion  to  the  remarks 
of  the  gentleman  he  had  noticed,  who  said  nine-tenths  of  the 
graduates  of  the  IMilitary  Academy  abandoned  the  service  of 
the  United  States.  If  he  would  take  the  trouble  to  examine 
the  records  upon  this  point,  he  doubted  not  he  would  be  sur- 
prised at  the  extent  of  his  mistake.  There  he  would  learn 
that  a  majority  of  all  the  graduates  are  still  in  service ;  and  if 
he  would  push  his  inquir}'-  a  little  further,  he  would  find  that 
a  large  majority  of  the  commissioned  officers  who  bled  in  the 
action  of  the  8th  and  9th  were  graduates  of  that  academy. 

"  He  would  not  enter  into  a  discussion  on  the  military  at 
this  time.  His  pride,  his  gratification  arose  from  the  success 
of  our  arms.  Much  was  due  to  the  courage  which  Americans 
have  displayed  on  many  battle-fields  in  former  times ;  but  this 
courage,  characteristic  of  our  people,  and  pervading  all  sections 
and  all  classes,  could  never  have  availed  so  much  had  it  not 
been  combined  with  military  science.  And  the  occasion 
seemed  suited  to  enforce  this  lesson  on  the  minds  of  those  who 
have  been  accustomed,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  to  rail 
at  the  scientific  attainments  of  our  officers. 

"The  influence  of  military  skill — the  advantage  of  dis- 
cipline in  the  troops — the  power  derived  from  the  science  of 
war,  increases  with  the  increased  size  of  the  contending 
armies.  With  two  thousand  we  had  beaten  six  thousand ; 
with  twenty  thousand  vrc  would  far  more  easily  beat  sixty 
thousand,  because  the  general  must  be  an  educated  soldier 


THE  MEXICAN   WAR.  76 

who  wields  large  bodies  of  men,  and  the  troops,  to  act  effi- 
ciently, must  be  disciplined  and  commanded  by  able  officers. 
He  but  said  what  he  had  long  thought  and  often  said,  when 
he  expressed  his  confidence  in  the  ability  of  our  officers  to 
meet  those  of  any  service — favorably  to  compare,  in  all  that 
constitutes  the  soldier,  with  any  army  in  the  world ;  and  as 
the  field  widened  for  the  exhibition,  so  would  their  merits 
sliine  more  brightly  still. 

"With  many  of  the  officers  now  serving  on  the  Rio'Grande 
he  had  enjoyed  a  personal  acquaintance,  and  hesitated  not  to 
say  that  all  which  skill,  and  courage,  and  j^atriotism  could 
perform,  might  be  expected  from  them.  He  had  forborne  to 
speak  of  the  general  commanding  on  the  Rio  Grande  on  any 
former  occasion  ;  but  he  would  now  say  to  those  who  had 
expressed  distrust,  that  the  world  held  not  a  soldier  better 
qualified  for  the  service  he  was  engaged  in  than  General 
Taylor.  Trained  from  his  youth  to  arms,  having  spent  the 
greater  portion  of  his  life  on  our  frontier,  his  experience  pecu- 
liarly fits  him  for  the  command  he  holds.  Such  as  his  con- 
duct was  in  Fort  Harrison,  on  Ihe  upp«er  Mississippi,  in  Florida, 
and  on  the  Rio  Grande,  will  It  be  wherever  he  meets  the  enemy 
of  his  country. 

''  Those  soldiers,  to  whom  so  many  have  applied  deprecia- 
tory epithets,  upon  whom  it  has  been  so  often  said  no  reliance 
could  be  placed,  they  too  will  be  found,  in  every  emergency, 
renewing  such  feats  as  have  recently  graced  our  arms,  bearing 
the  American  flag  to  honorable  triumphs,  or  falling  beneath 
its  folds,  as  devotees  to  our  common  cause,  to  die  a  soldier's 
death. 

''  He  rejoiced  that  the  gentleman  from  South  Carolina  (Mr. 
Black)  had  shown  himself  so  ready  to  pay  this  tribute  to  our 
army.  He  hoped  not  a  voice  would  be  raised  in  opposition  to 
it — ^that  nothing  but  the  stern  regret  which  is  prompted  by 
remembrance  of  those  who  bravely  fought  and  nobly  died  will 


76  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  VME. 

break  the  joy,  the  pride,  the  patriotio  gratulation  with  which 
we  liail  this  triumph  of  our  brethren  on  the  Rio  Grande.'' 

What  followed  we  may  best  give  from  the  sketch  which  we 
have  already  quoted  so  frequently : 

*' As  a  member  of  Congress,  he  voted  in  accordance  with  the 
views  of  the  administration.  AYheu  the  battles  of  the  Rio 
Grande  occurred,  he  supported  the  decla-ration  that  hostilities 
existed  by  the  act  of  Mexico.  Although  in  this  vote  he  sus- 
tained the  position  taken  by  the  President,  yet  it  required,  per- 
haps, a  higher  exercise  of  independence  than  if  he  had  taken 
the  contrary  part,  for  it  was  in  opposition  to  the  earnest  remon- 
strances of  Mr.  Calhoun,  the  recognized  head  of  the  school  of 
statesmanship  of  which  Mr.  Davis  was  a  zealous  disciple,  and 
probably  the  only  man  that  he  would  ever  have  acknowledged 
as  a  political  leader.  He  voted  also  for  raising  a  volunteer 
army  and  for  the  appropriations  requisite  for  a  vigorous  prosecu- 
tion of  the  war.  He  opposed,  however,  as  unconstitutional,  the 
authority  conferred  upon  the  President  to  appoint  the  general 
officers  of  the  volunteer  forces,  holding  that  it  had  been  reserved 
exclusively  to  the  States. 

"The  regiment  called  for  from  Mississippi  was  organized  at 
Vicksburg,  and  elected  its  field  officers  with  Jefferson  Davis  at 
their  head  as  colonel.  A  messenger  was  sent  to  AVashington 
to  notify  him.  He  was  found  in  the  House  of  Representatives, 
then  having  the  tariff  bill  under  consideration.  The  offer  of 
the  command  of  the  regiment  was  promptly  accepted.  The 
President,  on  being  informed  of  his  acceptance  and  of  his  inten- 
tion to  leave  Washington  as  soon  as  the  necessary  arms  and 
equipments  could  be  procured,  insisted  on  his  remaining  in 
Congress  a  few  days  until  the  tariff  bill  could  be  completed  and 
passed,  promising  to  instruct  the  Secretary  of  War  in  the  mean- 
time to  have  all  his  requisitions  filled,  so  that  no  time  should 
be  lost. 


s 


THf:  MEXICAN   WAR.  77 

"He  made  a  requisition  for  one  thousand  percussion  rifles 
of  the  model  manufactured  by  Whitney,  of  New  Haven. 
This  was  considered  a  startling  innovation  on  usage.  The 
rifle  had.  not  then  been  introduced  into  the  army.  Even 
the  percussion  lock  was  only  partially  in  use,  and  General 
Scott  is  said  to  have  preferred  the  flint  lock,  considering  it  as 
involving  too  much  risk  to  rely  upon  so  untried  a  weapon  as 
the  percussion  lock  musket  for  a  campaign  in  an  enemy's  coun- 
try. Certain  it  is  that  he  objected  to  the  proposition  of  Colonel 
Davis  to  supply  his  regiment  with  the  rifle  indicated  by  iiis 
requisition  and,  in  yielding  a  partial  consent  to  the  experi- 
ment, coupled  with  it  the  condition  that  at  least  six  of  the 
ten  companies  should  be  armed  with  the  old-fashioned  musket 
already  in  use.  Davis,  however,  who  knew  the  familiarity  of 
his  men  with  the  rifle  and  their  distrust  of  the  army  musket, 
insisted  upon  the  entire  fulfillment  of  the  President's  promise, 
and  eventually  succeeded  in  obtaining  it.  Such  was  the  origi- 
nal introduction  into  the  service' of  the  weapon  afterward  so 
celebrated  as  the  '  Mississippi  rifle.' 

"Resigning  his  seat  in  Congress,  in  June  or  July,  1846,  Col- 
onel Davis  hastened  to  join  his  regiment,  which  had  already 
set  out  for  the  seat  of  war  He  overtook  it  and  assumed  com- 
mand in  Kcw  Orleans,  from  which  place  they  were  transported 
by  sea  to  Point  Isabel.  Here  they  were  subjected  to  a  delay  of 
several  weeks,  awaiting' transportation  up  the  Pio  Grande. 
This  opportunity  was  employed  by  the  commander  in  drilling 
and  training  his  men,  very  few  of  whom  had  received  any 
military  instruction.  A  serious  difficulty  presented  itself  at 
the  very  outset.  No  system  of  tactics  then  in  existence  had 
any  provision  for  a  manual  of  arms  adapted  to  the  rifle,  with 
which  the  Mississippians  were  armed.  In  this  exigency  Colo- 
nel Davis  set  to  work  and  prepared  a  manual  of  his  own,  in 
which  he  took  personal  charge  of  the  instruction  of  his  officers, 
requiring  them  to  communicate  it  to  the  men  of  their  com- 


78  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

mands.  As  he  took  these  officers  out  for  their  daily  drill,  it 
became  an  habitual  joke  with  the  soldiers  looking  on  to  exclaim 
in  tones  just  loud  enough  to  be  overheard*  'There  goes  the 
Colonel,  with  the  awkward  squad  !'  Yet,  though  good-natured 
pleasantries,  such  as  this,  were  freely  tolerated,  the  discipline 
exacted  was  rigorous,  and  the  regiment  became  in  that  regard 
a  model  for  the  volunteer  troops  of  General  Taylor's  army. 

"Transportation  being  at  lefngth  furnished.  Colonel  Davis, 
with  his  regiment,  ascended  the  Rio  Grande  and  reported  to 
General  Taylor  then  encamped  at  Camargo.  It  was  probably 
the  first  time  they  had  met  since  their  2:)arting,  in  alienation  if 
not  in  anger,  many  years  before  on  the  northwestern  frontier. 
Meanwhile  time,  and  a  common  sorrow,  had,  no  doubt,  wrought 
their  healing  influences.  Moreover,  in  debate  on  the  floor  of 
the  House  of  Representatives,  on  the  resolution  of  thanks  to 
General  Taylor  and  the  officers  and  men  of  his  command,  after 
the  battles  of  the  Rio  Grande,  the  eloquent  Mississippian,  in 
supporting  it,  had  warmly  eulogized  both  the  army  and  its 
commander,  declaring  of  the  latter  that  'the  world  had  not  a 
soldier  better  qualified  for  the  service  he  was  engaged  in  than 
General  Taylor.'  It  may  well  be  assumed,  therefore,  that  there 
were  no  remains  of  former  misunderstandings  or  estrangement 
to  disturb  the  harmony  attending  the  renewal  of  their  old  rela- 
tions as  chief  and  subordinate  in  command.  These  relations 
were  marked  throughout  the  campaign  by  entire  friendliness 
and  cordiality. 

"Very  soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  Mississippi  regiment  at 
Camargo  the  army  set  out  on  its  march  for  the  interior  of  Mex- 
ico. The  strength  of  the  column  put  in  motion,  as  reported 
by  the  commanding  general,  was  but  little  more  than  6,000 
men — a  force  which,  familiarized  as  we  have  since  become  with 
movements  of  troops  on  a  much  larger  scale,  seems  singularly 
inadequate  to  the  magnitude  of  the  objects  of  the  expedition. 
It  consisted  of  two  divisions  of  regular  troops,  commanded 


THE  MEXICAN  WAR.  79 

respectively  by  Brigadier-Generals  Twiggs  and  Wortli,  and  one 
of  volunteers,  commanded  by  Major-General  Butler.  To  these 
were  afterwards  added  (overtaking  them  on  the  march)  two 
regiments  of  Texas  volunteers,  under  the  immediate  command  of 
the  Governor  of  that  State,  J.  Pinckney  Henderson,  serving  witli 
the  military  rank  of  major-general;  his  command  constituting, 
nominally,  a  fourth  division,  though  in  respect  of  strength 
equivalent  only  to  a  small  brigade.  Davis's  regiment  was  one 
of  the  two  of  which  Quitman's  brigade,  of  Butler's  division, 
was  composed. 

. "  No  serious  resistance  was  encountered  until  Monterey,  a 
strongly  fortified  city  on  the  slope  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  garri- 
soned by  a  force  of  regular  and  volunteer  troops,  variously  esti- 
mated at  from  9,000  to  15,000  men,  under  command  of  Gene- 
ral Ampudia.  The  attack  on  Monterey  was  opened  early  on 
the  morning  of  the  21st  of  September.  It  is  not  our  purpose 
to  describe  it,  or  to  enter  into  the  details  of  any  other  opera- 
tions of  the  campaigns  beyond  such  as  directly  concern  the 
actions  of  the  subject  of  this  little  memoir.  Even  as  to  these, 
we  can  mention  only  some  of  the  most  salient  and  striking 
incidents. 

"  What  was  intended  to  be  the  main  attack  w^as  made  upon 
the  fortified  heights  on  the  western  side  or  rear  of  the  town,  as 
approached  by  the  United  States  forces.  The  conduct  of  this 
attack  was  entrusted  to  General  Worth.  At  the  same  time  a 
diversion  in  favor  of  Worth's  movement  was  to  be  made  on 
the  eastern  or  northeastern  side  by  Butler's  and  Twiggs's  divi- 
visions,  under  the  immediate  direction  of  General  Taylor  him- 
self. The  two  attacks  were  entirely  detached  and  separate 
from  each  other — communication  between  them  requiring  a 
detour  of  at  least  six  miles — and,  although  the  movement  in 
front  seems  to  have  been  meant  to  be  only  subsidiary  to  that 
in  the  rear  of  the  city,  it  is  hard  to  determine  which  of  them, 
in  the  end,  was  of  the  greater  importance  in  contributing  to 
the  general  result. 


80  THE  DAfiS  MEMOBIAL  VOLUME. 

"The  defences  in  front  were  found  to  be  stronger  than  had 
been  expected.  The  regular  troops  (First,  Third  and  Fourth 
infantry)  of  Twiggs's  command  suffered  severely  in  leading  the 
attack  upon  them. 

"Quitman's  brigade,  consisting  of  Davis's  Mississippians  and 
Campbell's  Tennesseeans,  was  ordered  to  the  support  of 
Twiggs.  These  regiments  moved  with .  impetuous  courage 
upon  the  most  advanced  j^osition  of  the  Mexicans — a  strong 
stone  building,  known  as  La  Tanefia  (the  Tanner}-),  which  had 
been  converted  into  a  fort,  occupied  by  infantry,  and  covered 
by  a  redoubt  with  artillery.  The  redoubt  was  carried  by 
assault,  Lieutenant-Colonel  JMcClung,  of  Davis's  regiment,  with 
Lieutenant  Patterson,  of  the  same  command,  being  the  first  to 
mount  the  breastworks.  The  defenders  of  the  redoubt  hastily 
withdrew  to  the  stone  building  in  the  rear,  but  were  closely 
pursued  by  the  ]\Iississippians,  led  by  Colonel  Davis  in  person, 
who  reached  the  gate  just  as  they  were  closing  it  and  forced  it 
open.  The  ]\Iexicans  at  hand  immediately  surrendered,  and 
the  officer  in  command  of  the  post  delivered  his  sword  to  Col- 
onel Davis,  who  soon  afterwards  handed  it  to  his  friend,  Col- 
onel Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  then  serving  as  Inspector-Gene- 
ral on  the  staff  of  General  Butler. 

"Meantime,  the  greater  j^art  of  the  garrison  of  La  Taneria, 
were  endeavoring  to  escape  to  the  other  fortified  positions 
accessible  to  them.  They  were  pursued  by  Davis,  who  was 
about  to  lead  his  regiment  to  the  attack  of  a  fort  known  as  EI 
Diablo,  some  300  yards  from  the  works  already  captured,  when 
he  was  ordered  back  by  General  Quitman  and  directed  to 
rejoin  the  main  body  of  the  division.  This  order  was  very  dis- 
tasteful to  him ;  even  in  after  years,  on  the  rare  occasions  when 
he  could  be  induced  to  speak  freely  of  these  events,  ho  would 
manifest  some  traces  of  still  lingering  dissatisfaction  in  men- 
tioning it.  For  some  time  the  troops  were  left  in  a  state  of 
inaction,  protected  by  a  long  wall  in  their  front,  but  exposed 


THE  MEXICAN  WAR.  81 

to  the  fire  of  artillery  from  the  Mexican  salients  on  their  left 
flank.  Chafing  with  impatience  at  the  delay  and  useless 
exposure  of  his  men,  Colonel  Davis  addressed  himself  to  Col- 
onel A.  S.  Johnston,  of  the  division  staff — whose  chief,  Gene- 
ral Butler,  had  been  wounded  and  was  about  this  time  obliged 
to  retire  from  the  field — and  suggested  the  query  that,  if  not 
permitted  to  attack  the  salient  on  the  left,  why  not  move  upon 
the  right?  Johnston's  answer  (as  given  in  a  letter  from 
ex-President  Davis  to  Colonel  W.  P.  Johnston,  from  which 
this  incident  is  taken),  was:  'We  can  get  no  orders,  but  if  you 
will  move  your  regiment  to  the  right  place,  the  rest  may  fol- 
low you.'  Colonel  Davis  appears  to  have  waited  for  no  fur- 
ther orders,  but  moved  off  immediately  toward  a  fete-de-pont 
covering  the  ajDproach  to  a  bridge  on  the  right. 

"  Meeting  here  Major  Mansfield,  Chief  Engineer,and  Captain 
Field,  of  the  Third  infantry,  with  his  company,  both  of 
whom  promptly  consented  to  co-operate  with  him,  prepara- 
tions were  made  for  an  immediate  attack  upon  the  tete-de-pont. 
Before  this  could  be  executed,  however,  he  was  ordered  by 
General  Hamer — who,  as  senior  brigadier,  had  succeeded 
General  Butler  in  command  of  the  division — to  desist  and 
withdraw  from  his  position.  His  OM^n  remonstrances  and 
those  of  Major  Mansfield  were  unavailing,  and  for  the  second 
time  that  day  he  found  his  enterprises  thwarted  by  the  orders 
of  his  military  superiors.  It  was,  no  doubt,  some  compensa- 
sation  for  his  disappointment  that,  in  retiring  from  the  field, 
he  had  opportunity  for  the  execution,  on  his  own  responsi- 
bility, of  a  brief  but  brilliant  movement  of  a  very  unusual 
sort.  This  was  the  attack  and  rout  of  a  body  of  lancers  who 
were  inflicting  much  annoyance  upon  the  main  body  of  the 
division,  Kesistance  by  foot  soldiers  to  charges  of  cavalry  is 
no  uncommon  thing  in  war,  but  the  novelty  of  this  aggressive 
and  successful  attack  upon  light  cavalry  by  riflemen  on  foot 
6 


82  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

did  not  escape  the  special  notice  of  Colonel  Johnston  and  othei 
old  soldiers  avIio  witnessed  it. 

"Nothing  important  occurred  the  next  day  (22nd  September) 
in  front  of  the  city,  though  in  the  rear  the  capture  of  the 
defences  on  the  Saltillo  road,  begun  by  Worth  the  day  before, 
was  completed  by  the  storming  of  the  "Bishop's  Palace"  and 
works  adjacent.  The  position  captured-  on  the  21st  (Fort 
Taneria  and  its  outworks)  was  still  held,  and  on  the  22nd  was 
occupied  by  Quitman's  brigade,  but  the  operations  of  the  day 
in  that  quarter  consisted  mainly  of  an  exchange  of  artil- 
lery firing. 

"  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  23d  it  was  ascertained  that  the 
Mexicans  had  evacuated  most  of  his  works  in  the  lower  part 
of  the  city  and  withdrawn  toward  the  citadel  and  grand 
plaza.  Colonel  Davis  was  ordered  to  take  possession  of  '  El 
Diablo  '  and  the  works  around  it.  A  little  later  General  Quit- 
man was  authorized  by  the  commanding  general,  at  his  own 
discretion,  to  advance  into  the  interior  of  the  city.  Davis, 
with  part  of  his  own  command,  and  part  of  the  Tennessee 
regiment,  took  the  lead  in  this  movement,  which  was  one  alto- 
gether congenial  to  the  adventurous,  though  cool,  discreet  and 
wary  daring  of  his  disposition.  The  performance  of  the  duty 
was  beset  with  difficulties.  Barricades  had  been  built  across 
the  streets.  Posted  behind  these  barricades  at  the  windows 
and  on  the  battlemented  roofs  of  houses,  and  availing  them- 
selves of  other  '  coigns  of  vantage,'  the  Mexicans  were  enabled 
with  little  ex2")0sure  of  themselves,  to  pick  off  the  assailants  as 
they  advanced,  while  their  artillery  swept  the  streets.  While 
Colonel  Davis  and  his  men  were  slowly  contending  against 
these  obstacles.  Lieutenant  (soon  afterward  captain)  Scarritt,  a 
brilliant  young  engineer  of  General  Taylor's  staff,  came  up 
and  j^roposed  that  instead  of  follownig  the  streets  they  should 
bore  their  way  through  the  houses,  offering  himself  to  obtain 
the  necessary  tools  and  to  render  his  personal  assistance  in  the 


TJtE  MEXICAN  ]V A n.  8S 

execution  of  the  plan.  Colonel  Davis  recognized  at  once  the 
expediency  of  the  suggestion,  and  promptly  agreed  to  it.  In 
after  years  he  spoke  with  much  admiration  of  the  skill  and 
ability  of  Scarritt  and  the  value  of  the  services  rendered  by 
him  on  that  occasion. 

"They  were  soon  afterward  joined  by  a  detachment  of  dis- 
mounted Texan  volunteers,  led  by  General  Henderson  in  per- 
son, who,  although  superior  in  rank,  was  content  to  co-operate 
with  Davis  in  his  movements.  The  greater  part  of  the  day 
was  occupied  in  slowly  making  their  way,  in  the  manner 
above  indicated,  from  house  to  house  and  from  square  to 
square,  dislodging  the  defenders  from  their  positions  as  t'hey 
advanced.  At  one  place  Colonel  Davis  was  completely  buried 
by  the  explosion  of  a  shell  in  a  mass  of  earth  and  rubbish, 
and  was  reported  killed  by  a  frightened  soldier  who  was  with 
him,  though  really  unhurt.  At  another,  when  it  became 
necessary  to  cross  a  street  commanded  by  one  of  the  Mexican 
batteries,  he  took  the  lead  and  crossed  alone,  after  instructing 
his  men  to  follow,  two  or  three  at  a  time,  until  the  fire  of  the 
enemy  was  drawn,  on  which  they  were  immediately  to  rush 
across  en  masse.  By  this  means  the  crossing  was  effected  with- 
out loss. 

"  As  evening  drew  on,  they  had  made  their  way  to  a  point 
within  less  than  two  squares  of  the  main  plaza.  Their  posi- 
tion was  now  so  advanced  that  it  had  become  unsafe  to  con- 
tinue the  fire  of  Bragg's  and  Ridgeley's  batteries,  which  had 
been  co-operating  with  them  from  the  rear.  They  were, 
therefore,  ordered  'gradually  and  slowly  to  retire  to  the 
defences  taken  in  the  morning.'  This  order  was  reluctantly 
obeyed,  both  by  Davis  and  Henderson. 

"  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  24th,  a  communication  was 
sent  by  flag  of  truce  from  General  Ampudia  to  General  Tay- 
lor, proposing  to  surrender  the  city  on  certain  conditions.  A 
cessation  of  fire  until  noon  was  ordered.     The  commanding 


84  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME 

generals  had  a  personal  Interview,  which  resulted  in  the 
appointment  of  commissioners  by  each  party  to  draw  up  arti- 
cles of  capitulation.  The  commissioners  appointed  by  General 
Taylor,  on  the  part  of  the  United  States,  were  Generals  Worth 
and  Henderson  and  Colonel  Jefferson  Davis.  On  the  part  of 
the  Mexicans  were  two  general  officers  of  the  army  and  the 
governor  of  the  State  of  New  Leon,  of  which  Monterey  is  the 
capital. 

"The  terms  agreed  upon  by  the  commissioners  provided  for 
the  surrender,  on  the  next  da}^,  ot  the  city  and  its  defences, 
with  all  the  artillery,  munitions  of  war,  and  other  public  prop- 
erty, except  the  arms  and  accoutrements  of  the  infantry  and 
cavalry  and  one  field  battery.  The  Mexican  troops  were  to 
retire  beyond  a  certain  specified  line,  wdiich  was  not  thereafter 
to  be  j^assed  by  armed  forces  from  either  side  for  eight  weeks, 
or  until  otherwise  ordered  by  one  or  both  of  the  two  govern- 
ments concerned. 

"Connected  with  the  ratification  of  these  terms  by  the 
respective  commanding  generals,  was  a  personal  adventure  of 
Colonels  Davis  and  A.  S.  Johnston,  which  has  been  graphically 
described  in  a  letter  from  the  former  to  Colonel  W.  P.  Johns- 
ton, son  of  the  latter.  Although  this  letter  has  already  been 
published  in  the  life  of  General  Johnston,  by  his  son,  yet  its 
intrinsic  interest  and  the  subsequent  celebrity  of  the  two 
jiarties  chiefly  concerned,  furnish  sufficient  reason  for  the 
reproduction  here  of  the  greater  part  of  it,      Mr.  Davis  writes  ; 

"'When  the  commissioners  had  completed  their  labors,  and 
written  out  the  terms  of  capitulation  in  English  and  Spanish, 
each  to  be  signed  by  both  of  the  commanding  generals,  there 
was  a  manifest  purpose  on  the  part  of  General  Ampudia  to 
delay  and  to  chaffer.  I  left  him,  after  an  unpleasant  interview, 
with  a  promise  on  his  part  to  give  me  General  Taylor's  draft 
with  his  (Ampudia's)  signature  as  early  in  the  morning  as  I 
would  call  for  it.      At  dawn  of  day  I  mounted  my  horse  an  J 


DAVIS  AND  JOHNSTON  NEGOTIATING  WITH  AMPIIDIA. 


86  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

started  for  the  town,  about  three  miles  distant.  General 
Taylor,  always  an  early  riser,  heard  the  horse's  feet  «is  I  passed 
by  the  tent  and  called  to  me,  asking  where  I  was  going,  then 
inviting  me  to  take  a  cup  of  coffee  with  him.  The  question 
was  answered  and  the  invitation  declined,  having  already  had 
coffee.  Your  father  seeing  me  on  horseback,  came  from  his 
tent  to  learn  the  cause  of  it^  and  proposed  to  go  with  me. 
General  Taylor  promptly  said  that  he  wished  he  would  do  so ; 
and  as  soon  as  his  horse  could  be  saddled  he  joined  me,  and 
we  rode  on  for  General  Ampudia's  headquarters  at  the  grand 
plaza  of  Monterey. 

*'  'As  we  approached  the  entrance  to  the  plaza  the  flat  roofs 
of  the  houses  were  seen  to  be  occupied  by  infantry  in  line  and 
under  arms.  The  barricade  across  the  street,  behind  which 
was  artillery,  showed  the  gunners  in  place,  and  the  port-fires 
blazing.  It  may  well  be  asked,  Why  should  they  fire  on  us? 
The  only  answer  is,  the  indications  are  strong  that  they 
intended  to  do  so.  AVe  were  riding  at  a  walk  and  continued 
to  advance  at  the  same  gait.  Your  father  suggested  that  we 
should  raise  our  w^hite  hankerchiefs ;  and  thus  we  rode  up  to 
the  battery.  Addressing  the  captain,  I  told  him  that  I  was  there 
by  appointment  to  meet  General  Ampudia,  and  wished  to 
pass.  He  sent  a  soldier  to  the  rear  with  orders  which  we 
could  not  hear.  After  waiting  a  due  time,  the  wish  to  pass 
was  stated  as  before.  Again  the  captain  sent  off  a  soldier ;  and 
a  third  lime  was  this  repeated,  none  of  the  soldiers  returning. 
In  this  state  of  affairs  w'e  saw"  the  Adjutant-General  of 
Ampudia  coming  on  horseback.  We  knew  that  he  spoke 
English,  and  that  as  the  chief  of  the  commander's  staff,  he  was 
aware  of  my  appointment  and  could  relieve  us  of  our  detention. 
There  was  a  narrow  space  between  the  end  of  the  breastwork 
and  the  wall  of  the  house,  barely  sufficient  for  one  horse  to 
pass  at  a  time.  We  were  quite  near  to  this  passage,  and  as 
the  Adjutant-General  advanced,  evidently  with  the  intention 


THE  MEXICAN  WAB,  87 

tc  ride  through,  I  addressed  him,  stating  my  case,  and  remon- 
strated on  the  discourtesy  with  which  we  had  been  treated, 
lie  turned  to  the  captain  and  speaking  in  Spanish,  and  with 
such  rapid  utterance  that  we  could  not  compjrehend  the 
meaning,  he  put  his  horse  in  motion  to  go  through.  Quick 
and  daring  in  action  as  slow  and  mild  in  s^^eech,  your  father 
said,  Had  we  not  better  keep  him  with  us?  We  squared 
our  horses  so  as  to  prevent  his  passing,  and  told  him  it  would 
much  oblige  us  if  he  would  accompany  us  to  the  quarters  of 
General  Ampudia.  He  appreciated  both  his  necessity  and  our 
own ;  and  feigning  great  pleasure  in  attending  us,  he  turned 
back  and  conducted  us  to  his  chief. 

" '  "Whether  the  danger  of  being  fired  on  was  as  great  as  it 
seemed,  cannot  be  determined;  but  the  advantage  of  h.aving  the 
well-known  chief  of  staff  exposed  to  any  fire  which  should  be 
aimed  at  us,  will  be  readily  perceived.  On  this  as  on  many 
other  occasions  during  our  long  acquaintance,  your  father 
exhibited  that  quick  perception  and  decision  which  characterize 
the  military  genius.  The  occasion  may  seem  small  to  others  ; 
it  was  great  to  us.  Together  we  had  seen  the  sun  rise;  and 
the  chances  seemed  to  both,  many  to  one,  that  neither  of  us 
would  ever  see  it  set.  Ampudia  received  us  with  the  extrava- 
gant demonstrations  of  his  nation,  ordered  our  horses  to  be 
taken  care  of,  and  invited  us  to  breakfast  with  him. 
Declining  the  invitation^  he  was  reminded  of  the  object  of  our 
visit,  and  the  desire  to  avoid  further  delay  in  exchange  of  the 
articles  of  capitulation.  He  promptly  delivered  the  duplicate 
left  with  him,  which  he  had  signed,  and  wo  took  formal  leave 
of  him,' 

''  There  can  scarcely  be  a  doubt,  under  the  light  thrown  upon 
the  subject  by  subsequent  discussion,  that  the  terms  of  capitu- 
lation accorded  were  as  judicious  as  they  were  liberal,  but 
they  were  severely  criticised  in  some  quarters  as  too  favorable 
to  the  Mexicans.     It  was  disapproved  by  the  government  at 


88  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

homej  but  before  the  necessary  correspondence  could  be 
exchanged  between  General  Taylor  and  the  War  Department, 
and  notice  given  the  Mexican  commander,  only  six  days 
remained  of  the  eight  weeks  originally  allowed  for  the  dura- 
tion of  the  armistice.  There  were  some  animated  discussion 
of  the  subject  afterwards  both  in  Congress  and  in  the  news- 
papers, and  the  action  of  General  Taylor  and  the  commission- 
ers was  warmly  defended  by  Colonel  Davis. 

"  Saltillo,  the  capital  of  the  State  of  Coahuila,  was  occupied 
by  the  United  States  forces  immediately  after  the  conolusion 
of  the  armistice,  and  Victoria,  the  capital  of  Tamaulipas,  some 
weeks  later.  General  Taylor  was  now  in  almost  full  possession 
of  the  States  of  Tamaulipas,  New  Leon  and  Coahuila.  The 
greater  part  of  the  winter  passed,  hov\'ever,  without  any  very 
important  or  mem.ora-ble  operations,  and  in  the  course  of  it 
Taylor's  force  was  much  reduced  by  the  withdrawal  of  a  laige 
portion  of  it,  including  nearly  all  the  regular  troops,  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  campaign  of  General  Scott,  about  to  be  opened 
from  Vera  Cruz  as  a  base  against  the  City  of  Mexico.  Mean- 
time Santa  Anna,  who  had  succeeded  to  the  chief  command  of 
the  Mexican  army  and  soon  after  to  the  Presidency  of  the 
Kepublic,  had  assembled  a  large  force  at  San  Luis  Potosi,  and 
in  the  latter  part  of  February,  1847,  moved  forward  to  meet 
the  invading  troo-ps  of  Ta3^1or. 

"  General  Taylor's  headquarters  were  at  Saltillo,  though  his 
advance  had  been  pushed  forward  as  far  as  Aqua  Nueva,  some 
eighteen  miles  beyond.  On  information  of  the  advance  of 
the  Mexicans,  he  selected  a  strong  defensive  position,  about 
seven  miles  south  of  Saltillo,  near  an  estate,  or  hacienda, 
known  as  Buena  Vista.  Here  he  posted  his  little  army  of 
about  5,000  men,  to  await  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  The 
road  at  Buena  Vista  entered  a  deep  and  narrow  valley,  pro- 
tected on  the  right,  or  western  side,  by  a  network  of  deep  gul- 
lies, impassible  by  cavalry  or  artillery,  while  on  the  left  a  '  sue- 


THE  MEXICAN  WAR  ■  S9 

cession  of  rugged  ridges  and  precipitous  ravines'  extended 
back  toward  the  mountain  bounding  tiio  valley. 

"The  JMexicans  made  their  ajopearance  on  the  morning  of 
the  22nd  of  February,  20,000  strong,  as  asserted  by,  Santa 
.Vnna  in  his  note  of  that  date  to  Taylor,  demanding  an  uncon- 
ditional surrender.  It  is  quite  likely,  however,  that  he  exag- 
gerated their  numbers.  The  official  returns  of  his  forces,  a 
few  days  before  the  battle  (according  to  the  statement  of 
General  Scott),  exhibit  an  aggregate  of  about  14,000.  On  the 
other  hand,  General  Wool  estimates  their  number  at  22,000. 
In  any  case  the  odds  were  fearful  enough,  though,  as  General 
Taylor  says  in  his  official  report,  '  the  features  of  the  ground 
were  such  as  to  nearly  paralyze  the  artillery  and  cavalry  of 
the  enemy,  while  his  infantry  could  not  derive  all  the  advan- 
tage of  its  numerical  superiority.' 

"  The  laconic  answer  of  Taylor  to  Santa  Anna's  communica- 
tion, granting  him  an  hour  to  make  up  his  mind  to  surrender, 
is  well  known.* 

"An  attack  was  soon  after  made  by  the  Mexicans,  and  some 
heavy  skirmishing  occurred  in  the  course  of  the  evening,  but 
the  battle  was  not  fairly  opened  until  the  next  morning. 
General  Taylor  himself  returned  for  the  night  to  Saltillo, 
which  was  threatened  by  a  large  body  of  cavalry,  taking  with 
him  the  Mississippi  regiment  and  a  squadron  of  dragoons. 

"The  battle  had  already  begun,  next  morning  (23rd),  when 
the  ]\Iississii:)pians  arrived  on  the  field,  with  some  advantage 
to  the  Mexicans.  Colonel  Davis  in  his  report  says:  *As  we 
approached  the  scene  of  action,  horsemen,  recognized  as  of  our 
troops,  were  seen  running,  dispersed  and  confusedly,  from  the 

*Heapquakters  Aejiy  of  Occupation,  (^ 
Kear  Buena  Vista,  Feb.  22, 1S47.     ) 
Sir,— In  reply  to  your  note  of  (Jiis  date,  summoning  me  to  surrender  my  forces  at  discre- 
tion, I  beg  leave  to  say  ttiat  I  decline  acceding  to  your  request. 
With  tiigh  respect,  I  am,  sir,  your  obedient  servant,  Z.  TAYLOR, 

Major-General  U.  S.  A.,  commanding. 
Senor  General  D.  Anto  Lopez  de  Santa  Anna,  Commander-in-Chief,  Encanteda. 


90  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

field;  and  our  first  view  of  the  line  of  battle  presented  the 
mortifying  spectacle  of  a  regiment  of  infantry  flying  disorgan- 
ized from  before  the  enemy.'  He  adds,  however,  that,  instead 
of  dispiriting,  the  sight  served  only  to  nerve  the  resolution  of 
the  men  of  his  command. 

'•They  soon  became  warmly  engaged  with  a  force  vastly 
superior  to  their  own.  Ascending  under  fire,  and  firing,  the 
slope  of  the  ridge  from  the  uj^per  part  of  which  the  enemy  were 
operating,  it  became  necessary  to  cross  a  deep  ravine  that  united 
obliquely  with  one  still  larger  on  the  right,  which  ran  nearly 
parallel  with  the  line  of  their  movement.  Into  this  lesser 
ravine  Colonel  Davis  descended  alone,  to  find  a  favorable  place 
for  the  passage  of  his  men.  AVhile  riding  along  the  bottom  he 
was  fired  upon  by  a  squadron  of  Mexican  cavalr}^  from  the 
bank  above,  but  they  fired  over  his  head  and  both  he  and  his 
horse  escaped  unhurt.  The  regiment  crossed  under  a  galling 
fire  and  drove  the  enemy  back  upon  their  reserves.  Being 
unsupported,  however,  and  observing  a  movement  of  theMexican 
cavalry  beyond  the  large  ravine  on  the  right,  as  if  to  cross  it 
and  attack  his  rear.  Colonel  Davis  retired  his  regiment  just  in 
time  to  prevent  this  movement  and  disperse  the  assailants 
with  the  loss  of  thei-r  leader. 

"He  was  now  joined  by  the  Third  Indiana  regiment  of  the 
same  brigade,  and  by  a  piece  of  artillery  under  Lieutenant  Ivil- 
burn,  and  again  moved  forward  to  the  ground  previously  occu- 
pied under  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery.  A  large  body  of  cavalry 
was  seen  to  issue  from  their  cover,  as  if  for  the  purpose  of  making 
an  attack,  and  preparations  were  at  once  made  to  receive  it. 

'Must  here  occurred  what  has  become  so  celebrated  as  the 
famous  'V  formation  of  his  troops  by  Colonel  Davis.  The 
story,  as  generally  told,  is  that,  seeing  the  impending  charge, 
he  drew  up  his  men  in  the  form  of  the  letter  specified,  so  as  to 
receive  the  enemy  between  its  two  converging  lines  under  a 
flanking  fire  from  both.     Much  graphic  but  illusory  narration 


THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 


91 


and  injudicious  eulogy  Lave  been  expended  upon  the  subject 
by  writers  and  speakers  but  little  versed  in  tactics,  theoretical 
or  practical.  The  truth  is  that,  under  ordinary  circumstances, 
such  a  formation  would  have  been  an  exceedingly  weak  one, 
directly  contrary  to  the  plainest  principles  of  defense  against 
cavalry.  No  cavalry  commander  of  ordinary  intelligence  could 
be  expected  to  lead  his  men  into  the  gaping  jaws  of  a  bi:urcate 
snare  so  manifestly  fraught  with  deadly  peril,  when  it  would 
be  so  much  easier  and  safer  to  turn  its  corners  and  attack  his 
enemy  in  the  rear.  No  such  formation  as  that  of  the  'V  is 
mentioned  by  General  Taylor  in  his  report  of  the  battle — unless 
an  obscure  and  incidental  allusion  to  that  part  of  the  line  as 
forming  'a  crochet  perpendicular  to  the  hrst  line  of  baicle'  can 
be  understood  as  indicating  it.  It  is  not  mentioned  by  Gene- 
ral Wool,  the  second  in  command  in  the  field,  or  by  General 
Lane,  who  commanded  the  brigade  to  which  the  Mississippi 
and  Indiana  regiments  both  belonged.  The  explanation  may 
be  found  in  a  single  sentence  of  Colonel  Davis's  own  report,  in 
which  he  says:  'The  Mississippi  regiment  was  filed  to  the 
right  (they  were  retiring  by  the  left  flank),  and  fronted  in  line 
across  the  plain ;  the  Indiana  regiment  was  formed  on  the  bank 
of  the  ravine  by  which  a  re-entering  angle  was  presented  to  the 
enemy.'  From  this  statement  it  is  not  at  all  j^resumable  that  the 
re-entrant  angle  was  one  of  such  acuteness  as  to  entitle  it  to  be 
likened  in  form  to  the  letter  'V.  Moreover,  the  dispositions 
made  were  evidently  suggested  by  the  conformation  of  the 
ground  occupied,  and  the  genius  of  the  connnander  shown  by 
the  promptness  and  sagacity  with  which  he  took  advantage  of 
it.  The  Indiana  regiment,  constituting  the  right  of  his  line 
was  drawn  up  along  the  brink  of  the  main  ravine,  by  which 
its  rear  was  completely  covered.  His  own  regiment  extended 
'across  the  plain,'  presumably  to  the  other  ravine,  leaving  the 
enemy  no  possible  means  of  approach,  except  in  front  and 
under  the  fire  of  both  wings.     These  disjDositions  were  brilliant 


92  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

in  conception  and  execution,  but  not  in  the  way  in  which  they 
are  generally  represented.  The  merit  consisted  in  the  ready 
intuition  and  consummate  skill  with  which  the  strongest 
possible  formation  was  made  of  what  in  most  cases  would  have 
been  one  of  the  very  weakest. 

"  Colonel  Davis  soon  afterwards  received  orders  to  move  his 
regiment  to  a  point  some  distance  to  the  right  for  the  protec- 
tion of  Bragg's  batter}^,  which  was  hotly  engaged  and  entirel}^ 
unsupported.  Reaching  the  brow  of  the  slope  that  led  to  the 
plateau  on  which  the  battery  was  stationed,  they  found  the 
Mexican  infantry  advancing  upon  it,  within  about  100  3^ards. 
A  destructive  fire  upon  their  right  flank  checked  their  progress 
and  saved  the  battery  from  imuending  and  otherwise  inevitable 
capture  or  destruction. 

*'■  This  was  the  last  conflict  of  the  day  in  which  they  were 
engaged.  Colonel  Davis  had  been  severely  wounded  on  first 
going  into  action  by  a  musket  ball  through  the  foot,  near  the 
ankle  joint.  Although  keeping  the  field,  he  had  suffered 
severely,  and  at  the  close  of  battle  retired  to  a  tent  for  surgical 
treatment. 

"  [It  is  an  interesting  rcminiscense  that  ho  was  nursed  and 
waited  on  during  the  ensuing  night  by  Mr.  T.  L.  Crittenden, 
then  serving  as  a  volunteer  aid  on  the  staff"  of  General  Taylor, 
without  military  rank,  who  served  with  distinction  in  the 
Federal  army  during  the  late  war,  and  has  since  attained  the 
rank  of  brigadier-general  by  brevet.  To  him  Colonel  Davis 
attributed  his  escape  from  lockjaw,  which  was  llireatened,  and 
probably  the  saving  of  his  life,  by  continually  pouring  cold 
water  upon  the  wounded  limb.] 

"The  general  appreciation  in  the  army  of  the  brilliant 
services  rendered  at  Buena  Vista  by  Davis  and  his  Missis- 
sippians  was  shown  by  the  praises  lavished  upon  them  in  tlie 
official  reports  of  his  superiors  and  the  officers  directly 
associated  with  him  during  the  battle.      These  notes  of  admi- 


TttB  MEXTCAX  WAR. 


1).^ 


ration  and  approval  were  caught  up  and  re-echoed  by  press  and 
people  at  home.  Few  soldiers  have  ever  received  from  their 
countrymen  a  more  generous  recognition  of  distinguished 
services  tlian  that  awarded  them." 

The  following  description  of  the  part  borne  by  ^'  Davis  and  his 
Mississippi  Rifles"  in  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  is  from  the 
pen  of  Honorable  J.  F.  H.  Claiborne,  who  has  written  much  to 
illustrate  the  history  of  Mississippi  and  her  sons : 

"The  battle  had  been  raging  sometime  with  fluctuating 
fortunes,  and  was  setting  against  us,  when  General  Taylor, 
with  Colonel  Davis  and  others,  arrived  on  the  field.  Several 
regiments  (which  were  subsequently  rallied  and  fought  bravely) 
were  in  fall  retreat.  O'Brien,  after  having  his  men  and  horses 
completely  cut  up,  had  been  compelled  to  draw  off  his  guns, 
and  Bragg,  with  almost  superhuman  energy,  was  sustaining 
the  brnnt  of  the  fight.  Many  officers  of  distinction  had  fallen. 
Colonel  Davis  rode  forward  to  examine  the  position  of  the 
enemy,  and  concluding  that  the  best  way  to  arrest  our  fugitives 
would  be  to  make  a  bold  demonstration,  he  resolved  at  once 
to  attack  the  enemy,  there  posted  in  force,  immediately  in 
front,  supported  by  cavalry,  and  two  divisions  in  reserve  in 
his  rear.  It  was  a  resolution  bold  almost  to  rashness,  but  the 
emergency  was  pressing.  With  a  handful  of  Indiana  yolun- 
teers,  who  still  stood  by  their  brave  old  colonel  (Bowles)  and 
his  own  regiment,  he  advanced  at  double-quick  time,  firing  as 
he  advanced.  His  own  brave  fellows  fell  fast  under  the  roll- 
ing musketry  of  the  enemy,  but  their  rapid  and  fatal  volleys 
carried  dismay  and  death  into  the  adverse  ranks.  A  deep 
ravine  separated  the  combatants.  Leaping  into  it,  the  Missis- 
sippians  soon  appeared  on  the  other  side,  and  with  a  shout  that 
was  heard  over  the  battle-field,  they  j^oured  in  a  well-directed 
fire,  and  rushed  upon  the  enemy.  Their  deadly  aim  and  wild 
enthusiasm  was  ii-resistible.  The  Mexicans  fled  in  confusion 
to  their  reserves,  -and  Davis  seized  the  commanding  position 


94  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

they  had  occupied.  He  next  fell  upon  the  party  of  cavalry  and 
compelled  it  to  fi}',  with  the  loss  of  their  leader  and  other 
officers.  Immediately  afterwards  a  brigade  of  lancers,  'one 
thousand  strong,  were  seen  approaching  at  a  gallop,  in  beauti- 
ful array,  with  sounding  bugles  and  fluttering  pennons.  It  was 
an  appalling  sj)ectacle,  but  not  a  man  flinched  from  his  posi- 
tion. The  time  between  our  devoted  band  and  eternitj^  seemed 
brief  indeed.  But  conscious  that  the  eye  of  the  army  was 
upon  them,  that  the  honor  of  Mississippi  was  at  stake,  and 
knowing  that,  if  they  gave  way,  or  were  ridden  down,  our  un- 
protected batteries  in  the  rear,  upon  which  the  fortunes  of  the 
day  depended,  would  be  captured,  each  man  resolved  to  die  in 
his  place  sooner  than  retreat.  Not  the  Spartan  martyrs  at 
Thermopylae— not  the  sacred  battalion  of  Epaminondas — not 
the  Tenth  Legion  of  Julius  Ccesar — not  the  Old  Guard  of 
Napoleon — ever  evinced  more  fortitude  than  these  young  volun- 
teers in  a  crisis  when  death  seemed  inevitable.  They  stood 
like  statues,  as  frigid  and  motionless  as  the  marble  itself. 
Impressed  with  this  extraordinary  firmness,  when  they  had 
anticipated  panic  and  flight,  the  lancers  advanced  more  delib- 
erately, as  though  they  saw,  for  the  first  time,  the  dark  shadow 
of  the  fate  that  was  impending  over  them.  Colonel  Davis  had 
thrown  his  men  into  the  form  of  re-entering  angle,  (familiarly 
known  as  his  famous  V  movement,)  both  flanks  resting  on 
ravines,  the  lancers  coming  down  on  the  intervening  ridge. 
This  exposed  them  to  a  converging  fire,  and  the  moment  they 
came  within  rifle  range  each  man  singled  out  his  object,  and 
the  whole  head  of  the  column  fell.  A  more  deadl}^  fire  never 
was  delivered,  and  the  brilliant  array  recoiled  and  retreated, 
paralyzed  and  dismayed. 

''  Shortly  afterwards  the  Mexicans,  having  concentrated  a 
large  force  on  the  right  for  their  final  attack,  Colonel  Davis 
was  ordered  in  that  direction.  His  regiment  had  been  in 
action  all  day,  exhausted  by  thirst  and  fatigue,  much  reduced 


THE  MEXICAN  WAR.  '  95 

by  the  carnage  of  the  morning  engagement,  and  many  in  the 
ranks  suffering  from  wounds,  yet  the  noble  fellows  moved  at 
double-quick  time.  Bowles's  little  band  of  Indiana  volun- 
teers still  acted  with  them.  After  marching  several  hundred 
yards  they  perceived  the  Mexican  infantry  advancing,  in  three 
lines,  upon  Bragg's  battery,  which  though  entirely  unsup- 
ported, held  its  position  with  a  resolution  worthy  of  his  fame. 
The  pressure  upon  him  stimulated  the  Mississippians.  They 
increased  their  speed  and  when  the  enemy  was  within  one 
hundred  yards  of  the  battery  and  confident  of  its  capture,  they 
took  him  in  flank  and  reverse,  and  poured  in  a  raking  and 
destructive  fire.  This  broke  his  right  line,  and  the  rest  soon 
gave  way  and  fell  back  precipitately.  Colonel  Davis  was 
severely  wounded." 

General  Taylor  in  his  official  report  of  the  battle,  says  :  "  The 
Mississippi  riflemen,  under  Colonel  Davis,  were  highly  con- 
spicuous for  their  gallantry  and  steadiness,  and  sustained 
throughout  the  engagement,  the  reputation  of  veteran  troops. 
Brought  into  action  against  an  immensely  superior  force,  they 
maintained  themselves  for  a  long  time,  unsupported  and  with 
heavy  loss,  and  held  an  important  part  of  the  field  until 
re-enforced.  Colonel  Davis,  though  severely  w^ounded,  remain- 
ed in  the  saddle  until  the  close  of  the  action.  His  distinguished 
coolness  and  gallantry,  at  the  head  of  his  regiment  on  this 
day,  entitle  him  to  the  particular  notice  of  the  government." 

Several  sentences  from  Colonel  Davis's  report  have  been  given 
above,  but  we  quote  it  more  fully : 

"  Saltillo,  Mexico,  2d  March,  1847. 

"  Sir  :  In  compliance  wath  your  note  of  yesterday,  I  have 
the  honor  to  present  the  following  report  of  the  service  of  the 
Mississippi  riflemen  on  the  23d  ultimo  ; 

"  Early  in  the  morning  of  that  day  the  regiment  was  drawn 
out  from  the  headquarters  encampment,  which  stood  in  advance 
of  and  overlooked  the  town  of  Saltillo.     Conformably  to  in- 


96  THE  DA  VIS  MEMOBIAL  VOL  UME. 

structions,  two  companies  were  detached  for  the  protection  of 
that  encampment,  and  to  defend  the  adjacent  entrance  of  the 
town.  The  remaining  eight  companies  were  put  in  march  to 
return  to  the  position  of  the  preceding  day,  now  known  as  the 
battle-field  of  Baena  Vista.  We  had  approached  to  within 
about  two  miles  of  that  position,  when  the  report  of  artillery 
firing,  which  reached  us,  gave  assurance  that  a  battle  had 
commenced.  Excited  by  the  sound  the  regiment  pressed 
rapidly  forward,  manifesting,  upon  this,  as  upon  other  occasions, 
their  more  than  willingness  to  meet  the  enemy.  At  the  first 
convenient  place  the  column  was  halted  for  the  purpose  of  filling 
their  canteens  with  water;  and  the  march  being  resumed,  was 
directed  toward  the  position  which  had  been  indicated  to  me, 
on  the  previous  evening,  as  the  post  of  our  regiment.  As  we 
approached  tlie  scene  of  action,  horsemen,  recognized  as  of  our 
troops,  were  seen  running,  dispersed  and  confusedly  from  the 
field;  and  our  first  view  of  the  line  of  battle  presented  the 
mortifying  spectacle  of  a  regiment  of  infantry  flying  disor- 
ganized from  before  the  enemy.  These  sights,  so  well  calcu- 
lated to  destroy  confidence  and  dispirit  troops  just  coming  into 
action,  it  is  my  pride  and  pleasure  to  believe,  only  nerved  the 
resolution  of  the  regiment  I  have  the  honor  to  command, 

"Our  order  of  march  was  in  column  of  companies,  advancing 
by  the  centers.  The  point  w^hich  has  just  been  abandoned 
by  the  regiment  alluded  to,  w^as  now  taken  as  our  direction.  I 
rode  forward  to  examine  the  ground  upon  which  we  were 
going  to  operate,  and  in  j'lassing  tlirough  the  fugitives,  appealed 
to  them  to  return  witli  us  and  renew  the  fight,  pointing  to  our 
regiment  as  a  mass  of  men  behind  which  they  might  securely 
form. 

"AVith  a  few  honorable  exceptions,  the  appeal  was  as  un- 
heeded as  were  the  offers  which,  I  am  informed,  were  made  by 
QUI  men  to  give  their  canteens  of  water  to  those  who  com- 
plained of  thirst,  on  condition  that  they  would  go  back.     Gen- 


THE  MEXICAN  WAE.  97 

era!  Wool  was  upon  the  ground  making  great  efforts  to  rally 
the  men  who  had  given  way.  I  approached  him  and  asked  if 
he  would  send  another  regiment  to  sustain  me  in  an  attack 
upon  the  enemy  before  us.  He  was  alone,  and,  after  promising 
the  support,  went  in  person  to  send  it.  Upon  further  exami- 
nation, I  found  that  the  slope  we  were  ascending  was  intersected 
by  a  deep  ravine,  which,  uniting  obliquely  with  a  still  larger 
one  on  our  right,  formed  between  them  a  point  of  land  diffi- 
cult of  access  by  us,  but  which,  spreading  in  a  plain  toward 
the  base  of  the  mountain,  had  easy  communication  with  the 
main  body  of  the  enemy.  This  position,  important  from  its 
natural  strength,  derived  a  far  greater  value  from  the  relation 
it  bore  to  our  order  of  battle  and  line  of  communication  with 
the  rear.  The  enemy,  in  number  many  time  greater  than  our- 
selves, supported  by  strong  reserves,  flanked  by  cavalry  and 
elated  by  recent  success,  was  advancing  upon  it.  The  moment 
seemed  to  me  critical  and  the  occasion  to  require  whatever  sac- 
rifice it  might  cost  to  check  the  enemy. 

"My  regiment,  having  continued  to  advance,  was  near  at 
hand.  I  met  and  formed  it  rapidly  into  order  of  battle;  the 
line  then  advanced  in  double-quick  time,  until  within  the 
estimated  range  of  our  rifles,  when  it  was  halted,  and  ordered 
to  'fire  advancing.' 

"  The  progress  of  the  enemy  was  arrested.  We  crossed  the 
difficult  chasm  before  us,  under  a  galling  fire,  and  in  good 
order  renewed  the  attack  upon  the  other  side.  The  contest 
was  severe — the  destruction  great  upon  both  sides.  We  steadily 
advanced,  and,  as  the  distance  diminished,  the  ratio  of  loss 
increased  rapidly  against  the  enemy;  he  yielded,  and  was 
driven  back  on  his  reserves.  A  plain  now  lay  behind  us — 
the  enemy's  cavalry  had  passed  around  our  right  flank,  which 
rested  on  the  main  ravine,  and  gone  to  our  rear.  The  sup- 
port I  had  expected  to  join  us  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  I 
therefore  ordered  the  regiment  to  retire,  and  went  in  person  to 
7 


98  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

find  the  cavalry,  wliich,  after  passing  round  our  right,  had 
been  concealed  by  the  inequality  of  the  ground.  I  found  them 
at  the  first  point  where  the  b.ank  was  practicable  for  horsemen, 
in  the  act  of  descending  into  the  ravine — no  doubt  for  the 
purpose  of  cliarging  upon  our  rear.  The  nearest  of  our  men 
ran  quickly  to  my  call,  attacked  this  body,  and  dispersed  it 
with  some  loss.  I  think  their  commander  was  among  the 
killed. 

"  The  regiment  was  formed  again  in  line  of  battle  behind 
the  first  ravine  we  had  .crossed;  soon  after  which  we  were 
joined  upon  our  left  by  Lieutenant  Kilbourn,  with  a  piece  of 
light  artillery,  and  Colonel  Lane's  (the  Third)  regiment  of 
Lidiana  volunteers.  .  .  .  We  had  proceeded  but  a  short 
distance  when  I  saw  a  large  body  of  cavalry  debouche  from 
his  cover  upon  the  left  of  the  position  from  whicli  he  had 
retired,  and  advance  rapidly  upon  us.  The  Mississippi  regi- 
ment was  filed  to  the  right,  and  fronted  in  line  across  the 
plain;  the  Indiana  regiment  was  formed  on  the  bank  of  the 
ravine,  in  advance  of  our  right  flank,  by  which  a  re-entering 
angle  was  presented  to  the  enemy.  Whilst  this  preparation 
was  being  made,  Scrgeant-Major  Miller,  of  our  regiment,  was 
sent  to  Captain  Sherman  for  one  or  more  pieces  of  artillery 
from  his  battery. 

"The  enemy,  who  was  now  seen  to  be  a  body  of  richly-capa- 
risoned lancers,  came  forward  rapidly,  and  in  beautiful  order — 
the  files  and  ranks  so  closed  as  to  look  like  a  mass  of  men  and 
horses.  Perfect  silence  and  the  greatest  steadiness  prevailed 
in  both  lines  of  our  troops,  as  they  stood  at  shouldered  arms 
waiting  an  attack.  Confident  of  success,  and  anxious  to  obtain 
the  full  advantage  of  a  cross-fire  at  a  short  distance,  I  repeat- 
edly called  to  the  men  not  to  shoot. 

"  As  the  enemy  approached,  his  speed  regularly  diminished, 
until,  when,  within  eighty  or  a  hundred  yards,  he  had  drawn 
up  to  a  walk,  and  seemed  about  to  halt.     A  few  files  fired  with- 


TffE  MEXICAN  WAR. 


n 


out  orders,  and  both  lines  then  instantly  poured  in  a  volley 
so   destructive   that  the   mass  yielded    to  the  blow  and  the 

survivors  fled At  this  time,  the  enemy  made  his 

last  attack  upon  the  right,  and  I  received  the  General's  order 
\<y  march  to  that  portion  of  the  field.  The  broken  character 
of  the  intervening  ground  concealed  the  scene  of  action  from 
our  view;  but  the  heavy  firing  of  musketry  formed  a  sufficient 
guide  for  our  course.  After  marching  two  or  three  hundred 
yards,  we  saw  the  enemy's  infantry  advancing  in  three  lines 
upon  Captain  Bragg's  battery;  which,  though  entirely  unsup- 
ported, resolutely  held  its  position,  and  met  the  attack  with  a 
fire  worthy  the  former  achievements  of  that  battery,  and  of 
the  reputation  of  its  present  meritorious  commander.  We 
pressed  on,  climbed  the  rocky  slope  of  the  plain  on  which  this 
combat  occurred,  reached  its  brow  so  as  to  take  the  enemy  in 
flank  and  reverse  when  he  was  about  one  hundred  yards  from 
the  battery.  Our  first  fire — raking  each  of  his  lines,  and 
opened  close  upon  his  flank — ^was  eminently  destructive.  His 
right  gave  way,  and  he  fled  in  confusion. 

"In  this,  the  last  contest  of  the  day,  my  regiment  equaled — 
it  was  impossible  to  exceed — my  expectations.  Though  worn 
down  by  many  hours  of  fatigue  and  thirst,  the  ranks  thinned 
by  our  heavy  loss  in  the  morning,  they  yet  advanced  upon  the 
enemy  with  the  alacrity  and  eagerness  of  men  fresh  to  the 
combat.  In  every  approbatory  sense  of  these  remarks  I  wish 
to  be  included  a  party  of  Colonel  Bowles's  Indiana  regiment, 
which  served  with  us  during  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  under 
the  immediate  command  of  an  ofiicer  from  that  regiment, 
whose  gallantry  attracted  my  particular  attention,  but  whose 
name,  I  regret,  is  unknown  to  me.  When  hostile  demonstra- 
tions had  ceased,  I  retired  to  a  tent  upon  the  field  for  surgical 
aid,  having  been  wounded  by  a  musket  ball  when  we  first 
went  into  action.  Every  part  of  the  action  having  been  fought 
under  the  eye  of  the  Commanding  General,  the  importance  and 


IOC  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

manner  of  any  service  it  was  our  fortune  to  render  will  be  best 
estimated  by  him.  But  in  view  of  my  own  responsibility,  it 
may  be  permitted  me  to  say,  in  relation  to  our  first  attack 
upon  the  enemy,  that  I  considered  the  necessity  absolute  and 
immediate.  No  one  could  have  failed  to  perceive  the  hazard. 
The  enemy,  in  greatly  disproportionate  numbers,  was  rapidly 
advancing.  We  saw  no  friendly  troops  coming  to  our  support, 
and  probably  none  except  myself  expected  re-enforcement. 
Under  such  circumstances,  the  men  cheerfully,  ardently  entered 
into  the  conflict;  and  though  we  lost,  in  that  single  engage- 
ment, more  than  thirty  killed  and  forty  wounded,  the  regiment 
never  faltered  nor  moved,  except. as  it  was  ordered.  Had  the 
expected  re-enforcement  arrived  we  could  have  prevented  the 
enemy's  cavalry  from  passing  1,0  ou  rear,  results  more  decisive 
might  have  been  obtained,  and  a  part  of  our  loss  have  been 
avoided. 

"I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient 
servant,  Jefferson  Davis, 

"  Colonel  Mississippi  Rifles. 
]\Iajor  W.  W.  S.  Bliss,  Assistant  Adjutant- General" 

We  have  quoted  the  above  report,  and  shall  quote  other  doc- 
uments and  statements,  from  the  ''Life  of  Jefferson  Davis,"  by 
Frank  H.  Alfriend,  a  book  which  was  published  in  1868,  under 
many  difficulties  in  its  j^reparation,  but  which  has  many  strong 
points  of  interest  and  value,  and  deserves  aplace  in  our  libra- 
ries. 

Hon.  Caleb  Cushing,  in  an  address  on  "The  Expatriated 
Irish,"  delivered  in  Boston,  February  11th,  1858,  thus  speaks 
of  Davis  at  Buena  Vista : 

"In  another  of  the  dramatic  incidents  of  that  field,  a  man 
of  Celtic  race  (Jefferson  Davis)  at  the  head  of  the  Rifles  of 
Mississippi,  had  ventured  to  do  that  of  whicli  there  is,  perhaps, 
but  one  other  example  in  the  military  history  of  modern  times. 


THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 


101 


In  the  desperate  conflicts  of  the  Crimea,  at  tlie  battle  of  Inker- 
inann,  in  one  of  tliose  desperate  charges,  there  was  a  British 
ofRcer  who  ventured  to  receive  the  charge  Of  the  enemy  with- 
out the  precaution  of  having  liis  men  formed  in  a  hollow 
square.  They  were  drawn  up  in  two  lines,  meeting  at  a  point 
like  an  open  fan,  and  received  the  charge  of  the  Russians  at 
the  muzzle  of  their  guns,  and  repelled  it.  Sir  Colin  Campbell, 
for  this  feat  of  arms,  among  others,  was  selected  as  the  man  to 
retrieve  the  fallen  fortunes  of  England  in  India.  He  did, 
however,  but  imitate  what  Jefferson  Davis  had  previously  -^one 
in  Mexico,  who,  in  that  trying  hour,  when,  with  one  last  des- 
perate effort  to  break  the  line  of  the  American  army,  the  cav- 
alry of  Mexico  was  concentrated  in  one  charge  against  the 
American  line;  then,  I  say,  Jeff'erson  Davis  commanded  his 
men  to  form  in  two  lines,  extended  as  I  have  shown,  and  receive 
that  charge  of  the  Mexican  horse,  with  a  plunging  fire  from 
the  right  and  left  from  tne  Mississippi  Rifles,  which  repelled, 
and  repelled  for  the  last  time,  the  charge  of  the  hosts  of  Mex- 
ico." 

I  have  recently  heard  United  States  Senator  A.  H.  Colquitt, 
of  Georgia,  give  a  very  vivid  description  of  what  he  witnessed 
of  the  conduct  of  Colonel  Davis  and  his  gallant  Mississippians 
at  Buena  Vista.  He  says  that  as  Davis  advanced,  his  men 
were  subjected  to  that  most  demoralizing  experience  of  having 
another  regiment,  in  full  retreat,  rush  through  them ;  but  that 
Colonel  Davis,  who  had  been  very  severely  wounded,  but 
refused  to  leave  the  field,  called  out  repeatedly,  in  his  clear 
voice,  which  rang  out  above  the  din  of  the  conflict :  ''  Steady, 
Mississippians!  Steady,  Mississippians!  Let  those  people  who 
are  running  to  the  rear  pass  through,  but  hold  your  ground." 
And  when  the  retreating  men  had  passed  through  the  ranks 
of  his  regiment.  Colonel  Davis  gave  the  short,  crisp  order: 
"Forward,  Mississippians!  Forward  to  victory  1"  and  his  noble 


102  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

fellows  sprang  forward  to  meet  the  onset  and  turn  the  tide  of 
battle. 

I  regret  that  I  am  not  able  to  give  this  in  the  exact  language 
of  General  Colquitt,  the  hero  of  two  wars,  whose  statements 
are  accurate  and  whose  opinions  about  military  movements  are 
so  valuable.  He  does  not  hesitate  to  declare  that  Colonel 
Davis  and  his  regiment  saved  the  day  at  Buena  Vista,  and 
says  that  this  was  the  general  opinion  of  the  army,  and  that 
General  Taylor  himself  said  to  him  (Senator  Colquitt),  "Napo- 
leon never  had  a  Marshal  wdio  behaved  more  superbly  than 
did  Colonel  Davis  to-day." 

"The  battle  of  Buena  Vista  virtually  closed  the  war,  so  far 
as  the  field  of  General  Taylor's  operations  was  concerned.  Early 
in  the  ensuing  summer,  the  term  of  enlistment  of  Colonel 
Davis's  regiment  having  expired,  he  returned  with  it  to  Missis- 
sippi. He  was  met  on  the  w^ay,  at  New  Orleans,  by  a  very 
friendly  and  complimentary  letter  from  President  Polk,  accom. 
panying  a  commission  as  brigadier-general.  The  offer  was  no 
doubt  exceedingly  tempting  to  one  of  his  military  instincts, 
tastes  and  habits,  but  he  had  already — more  than  a  year 
before — avowed  his  belief  that  the  President  had  no  power, 
under  the  constitution,  to  make  such  an  appointment  for  volun- 
teer troops,  and  on  that  ground  respectfully  declined  it. 

"A  public  reception  was  given  to  Colonel  Davis  and  his  reg- 
iment at  New  Orleans,  and  Sargent  S.  PrentisSi  his  former 
adversary  on  the  hustings,  who  had  then  become  a  citizen  and 
member  of  the  bar  of  that  city,  was  selected  to  make  an  address 
of  welcome.  Still  more  enthusiastic  demonstrations  awaited 
them  at  Natchez  and  Vicksburg.'' 


IX. 


IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE. 


Eeturning  from  Mexico  "covered  with  glory,"  and  refusing, 
as  we  Iiave  seen,  a  commission  as  brigadier-general  because  he 
did  not  think  the  President  had  the  constitutional  right  to 
make  the  appointment,  Colonel  Davis  received  on  all  hands 
the  highest  honors,  and  when  soon  after  he  was  appointed  by 
the  Governor  of  Mississippi  to  fill  a  seat  in  the  United  States 
Senate,  made  vacant  by  the  death  of  Senator  Speight,  the 
hearty  verdict  of  the  people  approved  of  the  appointment,  and 
the  next  ensuing  legislature  unanimously  elected  him  to  fill 
out  the  term  of  j\Ir.  Speight,  which  expired  on  the  3d  of  March, 
1851.  His  senatorial  career,  thus  auspiciously  begun,  and  con- 
tinuing, with  the  intervals  we  shall  mention,  until  his  resigna- 
tion on  the  secession  of  his  State  in  1861,  was  indeed  a  bril- 
liant one.  I-n  those  days  men  were  sent  to  the  Senate  because 
of  their  ability  and  their  purity  of  character,  and  not  because 
of  great  wealth  or  capacity  as  political  tricksters  and  success- 
ful partisans.  And  among  all  of  the  intellectual  giants  that 
graced  the  Senate  during  the  period  of  his  service,  it  is  but 
simple  justice  to  say  that  in  ripe  scholarship,  wide  and  accu- 
rate information  on  all  subjects  coming  before  the  body,  native 
ability,  readiness  as  a  debater,  true  oratory,  and  stainless  char- 
acter, Jefferson  Davis  stood  in  the  very  front  rank,  and  did  as 
much  to  influence  legislation  and  leave  his  mark  on  the  Sen- 
ate and  the  country  as  any  other  man  who  served  in  his  day. 

There  might  be  quoted  at  great  length  expressions  of  opin- 
ion as  to  Mr.  Davis  iu  the  Senate,  but  we  have  space  for  only 
several  notable  ones. 

1103] 


104  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

Mr.  John  Savage,  in  his  "  Living  Representative  Men,"  gives 
the  following  incident  of  Mr.  Davis's  first  speech  in  the  House 
of  Representatives,  which  was  a  true  prophecy  of  his  after 
career  in  the  House  and  Senate : 

"John  Quincy  Adams  liad  a  habit  of  always  observing  new 
members.  He  would  sit  near  them  on  the  occasion  of  their 
Congressional  debut,  closely  eyeing  and  attentively  listening  if 
the  speech  pleased  him,  but  quickly  departing  if  it  did  not. 
When  Davis  first  arose  in  the  House,  the  ex-president  took  a 
seat  close  by.  Davis  proceeded,  and  Adams  did  not  move. 
The  one  continued  speaking  and  the  other  listening ;  and 
those  who  knew  Mr.  Adams's  habits  were  fully  aware  that  the 
new  member  had  deeply  impressed  him.  At  the  close  of  the 
speech  the  '  Old  Man  Eloquent'  crossed  over  to  some  friends 
and  said,  'That  young  man,  gentleman,  is  no  ordinary  man. 
He  wull  make  his  mark  yet,  mind  me.' " 

In  Dyer's  recently  published  book  on  "  Great  Senators  of  the 
United  States,"  the  author,  a  republican  of  the  straightest  sect, 
has  a  very  appreciative  sketch  of  Mr.  Davis  in  which  he  says : 

"  I  often  thought  of  Mr.  Davis's  kind  personal  traits  in  after 
3'ears,  and  especially  during  the  war  when  any  of  us  Northern 
men  would  have  had  him  slain  as  an  enemy  of  the  country, 
which  sentiment  he  doubtless  fully  and  naturally  reciprocated. 
.  But  now  that  all  that  is  past,  and  the  asperities  of  war  have 
given  place  to  the  amenities  of  peace,  I  find  only  friendly  feel- 
ings in  my  heart  towards  Jefferson  Davis,  and  would  gladly 
reciprocate  if  opportunity  should  offer,  the  kindness  which  all 
those  years  ago  he  showed  to  me  an  obscure  young  man,  when 
he  was  a  distinguished  and  powerful  senator  of  the  United 
States." 

A  correspondent  of  the  Missouri  Democrat,  himself  an  earnest 
political  antagonist  of  Mr.  Davis,  writing  to  his  paper  during 
the  debate  on  the  Kansas  question,  gave  a  very  vivid  pen 


n 
t  <^ 

H  *^ 
2  w 

®  ? 
■J)  > 

O   O 

2   'T! 

^  H 
o 


106  THE  DAVIS  MEJ^IORIAL  VOLUME. 

picture   of  "77ze  Southern    Triumvirate" — Davis,   Hunter,  and 
Toombs — from,  wliicli  v:e  make  the  following  extract : 

"Washington  City,  January  21. 
"  Yesterday,  when  Hale  was  speaking,  the  right  side  of  the 
chamber  was  empty  (as  it  generally  is  during  the  delivery  of 
an  anti-slavery  speech),  with  the  exception  of  a  group  of  three 
who  sat  near  the  centre  of  the  vacant  space.  This  remarka- 
ble group,  which  wore  the  air  if  not  the  ensigns  of  power? 
authority,  and  public  care,  was  composed  of  Senators  Davis, 
Hunter,  and  Toombs.  They  were  engaged  in  an  earnest  collo- 
quy, which,  however,  was  foreign  to  the  argument  Hale  was 
elaborating;  for  though  the  connection  of  their  words  was  broken 
before  it  reached  the  gallery,  their  voices  were  distinctly  audi- 
ble, and  gave  signs  of  their  abstraction.  They  were  thinking 
aloud.  If  they  had  met  together,  under  the  supervision  of 
some  artist  gifted  with  the  faculty  of  illustrating  history  and 
character  by  attitude  and  expression,  who  designed  to  paint 
them,  in  fresco,  on  the  walls  of  the  new  Senate  chamber,  the 
combination  could  not  have  been  more  appropriately  arranged 
than  chance  arranged  it  on  this  occasion.  Toombs  sits  among 
the  opposition  on  the  left,  Hunter  and  Davis  on  the  right ;  and 
the  fact  that  the  two  first  came  to  Davis's  seat — the  one  gravi- 
tating to  it  from  a  remote,  the  other  from  a  near  point — may 
be  held  to  indicate  which  of  the  three  is  the  preponderating 
body  in  the  system,  if  preponderance  there  be;  and  whose 
figure  should  occupy  the  foreground  of  the  picture  if  any  pre- 
2edcnco  is  to  be  accorded.  Davis  sat  erect  and  composed; 
Hunter,  listening,  rested  his  head  on  his  hand  ;  and  Toombs's, 
inclining  forward,  was  speaking  vehemently.  Their  respective 
attitudes  were  no  bad  illustration  of  their  individuality.  Davis 
impressed  the  spectator,  who  observed  the  easy  but  authorita- 
tive bearing  with  which  he  put  aside  or  assented  to  Toomb's 
suggestions,  with  the  notion  of  some  slight  superiority,  some 
harldly-acknowledged  leadership ;  and  Hunter's  attentiveness 


IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  107 

and  impassibility  were  characteristic  of  his  nature,  for  his  pro- 
fundity of  intellect  wears  the  guise  of  stolidity,  and  his  con- 
tinuous industry  that  of  inertia;  while  Toombs's  quick  utterance 
and  restless  head  bespoke  his  nervous  terperament  and  activity 
of  mind.  But,  though  each  is  different  from  either  of  the 
others,  the  three  have  several  attributes  in  common.  They 
are  equally  eminent  as  statesmen  and  debaters;  they  are 
devoted  to  the  same  cause;  they  are  equal  in  rank  and  rivals 
in  ambition,  and  they  are  about  the  same  age,  and  none  of  them 
—-let  young  America  take  notice — wears  either  beard  or  mus- 
taclie.  I  come  again  to  the  traits  which  distinguish  them  from 
each  other.  In  face  and  form,  Davis  represents  the  Norman 
type  with  singular  fidelity,  if  my  conception  of  that  type  be 
correct  lie  is  tall  and  sinewy,  with  fair  hair,  gray  eyes,  which 
are  clear  rather  than  bright,  high  forehead,  straight  nose,  thin, 
compressed  lips  and  pointed  chin.  Ilis  cheek  bones  are  hol- 
low, and  the  vicinity  ot  his  mouth  is  deeply  furrowed  with 
intersecting  lines.  Leanness  of  face,  length  and  sharpness  of 
feature,  and  length  of  limb,  and  intensity  of  expression,  ren- 
dered acute  by  angular,  facial  outline,  are  the  general  charac- 
teristics of  his  appearance." 

The  following  Washington  dispatch,  sent  on  the  day  on 
which  the  death  of  Mr.  Davis  was  announced,  gives  some 
pleasant  reminiscences: 

"Washington,  December  6. 

"  There  are  not  many  persons  about  the  capitol  now  who  were 
there  when  Jefferson  Davis  was  in  the  Senate,  thirty  years  ago. 
E.  v.  Murphy,  one  of  the  official  stenographers  of  the  Senate, 
was  a  boy  just  beginning  shorthand  work  during  the  latter  part 
of  Mr.  Davis's  political  career  under  the  national  government. 
He  remembers  Mr.  Davis  well,  and  speaks  of  him  very  highly. 
'He  was,'  said  Mr.  Murphy,  *a  nervous,  energetic  speaker,  and 
very  impressive.  He  spoke  rapidly  and  forcibly  and  as  if  he  were 
thoroughly  in  earnest.  This  earnestness  and  force  made  him 
highly  effective.     He  was  a  leading  man  in  the  Senate,  and 


108  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

gave  every  one  who  saw  him  the  impression  that  he  was  a 
born  leader.  He  was  not  a  demagogue,  and  would  always 
take  the  unpopular  side  of  any  question  when  he  believed  he 
was  right.  In  his  speeches  in  the  Senate  he  was  not  nearly  so 
outspoken  a  secessionist  as  his  colleague,  Mr.  Brown,  of 
Mississippi.  Mr.  Brown  appeared  to  fear  that  ]\Ir.  Davis 
would  stand  better  with  the  people  of  Mississippi  than  himself, 
and  for  that  reason  took  a  very  radical  tone  in  his  Southern 
speeches.  But  when  the  time  for  secession  came,  he  could  not 
make  a  farewell  address.  Mr,  Brown  burst  into  tears  in  the 
office  of  the  secretary  of  the  Senate,  and  said  he  could  not 
do  it. 

"  The  galleries  were  crowded  with  young  Southern  men  and 
bo3's  v/hen  Mr.  Davis  made  his  farewell  address.  Mr.  Davis 
was  the  leader  of  the  South  and  Judah  P.  Benjamin  was  its 
orator.  Those  were  exciting  times ;  but  there  was  never  such 
a  scene  as  when  Mr.  Benjamin  made  his  farewell  speech.  The 
galleries  were  j)acked,  and  when  Mr.  Benjamin  ended  by 
saying  :  '  The  South  will  never  surrender  I  never,  never,  never  I' 
handkerchiefs  were  waved  and  thrown  into  the  Senate  chamber, 
and  there  was  an  outbreak  such  as  I  have  never  seen  since  in 
the  Senate. 

"Speaking  of  Mr.  Davis's  personal  qualities,  Mr.  Murphy 
said  that  he  was  courteous  and  kind  to  all.  He  gave  strangers, 
said  Mr.  ]\Iurphy,  the  impression  that  he  was  reserved  and 
unapproachable;  but  this  was  not  so.  His  quick,  nervous 
temperament  made  him  easily  nettled,  and  when  he  was 
disturbed  he  would  sometimes  make  a  sharp  retort,  but  he 
would  apologize  for  it  the  next  moment.  He  stood  very 
high  in  the  estimation  of  the  Senators  on  both  sides  of 
the  chamber.  His  long  and  varied  service,  and  his  practice  of 
entertaining  gave  him  a  wide  acquaintance.  In  those 
days  most  of  the  Senators  and  members  lived  in  hotels  and 
boarding-houses.  Money  was  not  so  abundant,  and  many  of 
them  lived  in  quarters  which  a  government  clerk  would  not 


IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE. 


109 


now  occupy.  Messrs.  Davis,  Slidell  and  a  few  others  were  the 
only  Southern  men  who  kept  house,  and  they  entertained  in  a 
luxurious  manner  for  those  days,  although  it  would  not  he 
thought  so  now.  I  recollect,  particularly,  how  kind  Mr.  Davis 
was  to  all  the  employees  about  the  Senate,  He  knew  them  all 
personally,  and  would  ask.  after  them,  and  after  their 
families  where  they  had  any.  He  complimented  the  steno- 
graphic reports  of  the  Senate.  He  was  a  favorite  with  all  the 
emplo3^ees,  for  another  reason,  and  that  was  because  he  would 
always  endeavor  to  secure  extra  compensation  for  them. 

"Several  years  ago  Mr.  Murphy  wrote  to  Mr.  Davis  in  regard 
to  two  pictures  which  a  friend  had  secured  at  the  sale  of  the 
collection  of  a  picture  dealer  named  Lamb. '  The  history  of  the 
pictures  made  it  probable  that  they  had  belonged  to  Mr.  Davi  j. 
A  letter  from  him  was  received  by  Mr.  Murphy  in  which  he 
said  that  the  pictures  had  been  stolen  from  him,  and  that  he 
had  had  too  much  experience  with  pillage  during  the  war  to 
buy  back  his  properly  twice. 

"Representative  Spinola,  of  New  York,  is  one  of  the  few 
persons  now  in  Congress  who  was  acquainted  with  Mr.  Davis 
when  he  was  a  Senator  of  the  United  States  and  member  of  the 
cabinet.  He  says  that  at  that  time  Mr.  Davis  was  looked  upon 
as  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  country.  He  was  of  bright 
intellect,  of  great  determination  and  firmness,  and  a  leader 
always.  For  his  conduct  preceding  and  during  the  war  he  is 
generally  condemned  in  the  North,  but  condemnation  could 
not  efface  his  previous  record." 

The  Macon  {Ga.)  Telegraph  and  Messenger  published  several 
days  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Davis  the  following  sketch,  bring- 
ing out  the  opinion  of  Prescott,  the  historian,  concerning  ]\Ir. 
Davis  as  Senator,  which  is  of  such  interest  that  we  give  it  in 
fall: 

"Editor  Telegraph :  In  the  sketch  of  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis,  in 
the  Telegraph  of  December  7,  it  is  said  :  *  The  historian,  Pres- 


no  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

cott,  j)ronounced  him  the  most  accomplish-cd  man  in  that 
body  when  it  was  full  of  giants.'  Reference  in  the  above  is 
had  to  Mr.  Davis  and  the  United  States  Senate  of  1850.  That 
body  was,  indeed,  *  full  of  giants  '  in  those  days.  It  was  then 
at  the  acme  of  its  glory ;  it  was  in  its  palmiest  days.  Never 
before  at  one  time  did  so  many  illustrious  men  sit  in  the 
highest  council  of  the  nation.  The  States  sent  their  foremost 
men  to  the  Senate.  Few  were  sent  to  the  Senate  for  their 
wealth,  or  family  or  party  influence.  Ability,  experience  and 
integrity  were  the  tests  by  which  the  respective  States  tried  the 
?nen  who  were  to  represent  them  in  that  then  truly  venerable 
and  venerated  august  body.  To  that  body  of  '  giants '  such  as 
it  was  in  1850,  Ohio  sent  Salmon  P.  Chase;  Virginia, H.  ]\L T. 
Hunter;  Texas,  Sam  Houston  ;  Tennessee,  John  Bell;  Georgia, 
John  McPherson  Berrien ;  Alabama,  William  B.  King ;  Mis- 
souri, Thomas  II.  Benton  ;  North  Carolina,  Willie  P.  ]\Iangum; 
Louisiana,  Pierre  Soule ;  Michigan,  Lewis  Cass ;  Illinois, 
Stephen  A.  Douglass ;  Kentucky,  Henry  Clay ;  ]\Iassachusetts, 
Daniel  Webster ;  South  Carolina,  John  C.  Calhoun ;  and  Mis- 
sissippi, Jefferson  Davis. 

"  Such  were  the  giants  of  the  Senate  of  1850,  among  whom, 
according  to  ]\Ir.  Prescott,  jNIr.  Davis  was  'the  most  accom- 
plished.' Coming  from  such  a  source,  it  was  indeed  a  great 
compliment  to  the  then  Mississippi  Senator  and  the  subse- 
quent chief  of  the  Southern  Confederacy. 

"After  the  writer  of  this  read  the  sketch  of  Mr.  Davis  in 
the  Telegraph  it  was  a  wonder  to  him  how  the  author  of  the 
sketch  came  by  the  facts  to  which  he  alludes.  Had  he  ever 
seen  them  in  print?  If  not,  from  whom  did  he  get  them? 
That  he  might  know,  the  writer  called  at  the  office  of  the  Tele- 
graph and  asked  the  questions  above  propounded.  To  the 
writer's  inquiries  it  was,  in  substance,  replied  that  the  author 
of  the  sketch  had  seen  them  in  print  years  ago;  that,  accord- 
ing to  his  recollection,  he  found  them  in  ISir.  Prescott's  letters, 


JN  THE  UNITED  STA  TES  SENA  TE.  ^U 

in  which  the  latter  presented  some  reminiscences  of  the 
Senate  of  1850;  that  the3rfmade  a  deep  impression  on  his 
mind,  and  hence  were  fixed  in  ]iis  memory.  Upon  hearing 
this,  the  writer  proceeded  to  narrate  the  following  facts,  which 
he  now,  at  the  editor's  request,  gives  to  the  public. 

"In  March,  1850,  the  writer,  then  a  student  in  the  Brown 
University,  Providence,  R.  I.,  was  returning  to  college  after  a 
brief  visit  to  his  home  in  Georgia.  Passing  through  "Wash- 
ington city,  he  made  it  his  pleasure  to  remain  at  tb3  capital 
for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the  houses  of  Congress  and  seeing 
the  celebrities  of  the  nation.  One  of  the  most  exciting  periods 
in  the  history  of  the  United  States  Congress  had  just  been 
closed  by  the  passage  of  the  celebrated  compromise  measures 
of  1850  The  capital  and  all  the  public  buildings  were  draped 
in  mourning.  The  remains  of  one  of  the  greatest  statesmen 
this  country  ever  produced  were  lying  in  state  in  the  nation's 
capitol.  The  eloquent  voice  of  the  great  South  Carolina  '  nulli - 
fier,'  as  he  was  contemptuously  called  by  his  enemies,  had  just 
been  hushed  in  death,  and  his  body  was  waiting  transportation 
to  the  State  which  honored  him  above,  all  others  living  or 
dead.  It  was  then  the  writer  made  his  way  to  the  Senate 
chamber  to  see  its  great  men  and  to  listen  to  its  debates. 
On  one  ot  the  front  seats  of  tiie  gallery  he  sat  with  a  printed 
page  in  his  hand,  which  gave  the  names  of  the  Senators  and 
told  the  seats  which  they  respectively  occupied. 

"It  was  an  occasion  of  special  interest,  and  perhaps  every 
senator  was  in  his  place.  Bub  this  was  not  his  first  visit  to 
the  Senate  chamber.  He  had  been  there  several  times,  and 
had  so  learned  how  to  distinguish  the  most  illustrious  of  that 
great  body  of  illustrious  men  that  he  could  point  them  out  to 
others.  There,  on  the  day  mentioned,  he  sat,  eagerly  looking 
down  upon  the  splendid  array  below  him,  and  listening  to 
their  brief  addresses.  There  stood  Webster,  with  the  head  of 
*  Jupiter  Tonans/  the  most  impressive  looking  man  of  the  whole 


112  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

body.  The  writer,  when  a  boy  in  the  schools  of  Boston,  had 
heard  the  greatest  speech  of  his  life  on  the  completion  of  the 
Bunker  Hill  monument.  Therefore  "Webster  was  not  new  to 
him.  But  what  shall  he  say  of  the  slogan  of  the  Douglas,  the 
little  giant  of  the  West?  Of  the  rough  but  massive  speech  of 
Benton,  the  blunt  and  burly  senator  of  Missouri?  Of  our 
own  silver-tongued  Berrien  ?  Of  the  matchless  and  seductive 
eloquence  of  Clay,  Kentucky's  great  orator  and  the  pride  of  his 
party  ?  One  after  another  many  of  the  great  senators  were  on 
their  feet  with  something  to  say  on  the  matter  before  the  Sen- 
ate. They  impressed  the  writer — deeply  impressed  him,  one 
and  all.  Years  have  passed  since  then.  Tie  has  looked  on 
many  deliberative  bodies  in  America  and  in  England.  Not 
the  House  of  Lords,  with  the  Earl  of  Granville  on  the  wool- 
sack ;  not  the  House  of  Commons,  with  Gladstone  on  the  oppo- 
sition bench,  impressed  him  half  so  much.  Nor  among  the 
great  men  whom  he  saw  and  heard  in  the  United  States  Sen- 
ate of  1850  did  any  one  so  impress  him  as  the  senator  from 
Mississippi.  Nor  was  he  alone  in  this.  By  his  side  was  one 
who  was  as  seemingly  interested  as  he  was.  This  stranger 
showed  that  he  was  looking  with  interest  and  with  unmistaka- 
ble emotion  on  the  scene  before  him.  And  yet  he  was  not 
looking,  for  he  was  blind — or  too  blind  to  see  with  his  visual 
organs.  Some  'thick  drop  serene,'  as  in  Milton,  had  'quenched,' 
or  'dim  suffusion  veiled  his  orbs.'  But  not  blinded  w^as  his 
interior  eye;  it  supplied  the  lack  of  the  outer,  and,  as  Milton 
saw  visions  that  were  hid  to  those  whose  eyes  were  open  to  the 
light  of  day,  the  intellectual  eye  of  the  stranger  saw  farther 
and  deeper  into  men  than  many  whose  orbs  were  neither 
'quenched' nor  'veiled.'  As  senator  after  senator  would  arise 
and  address  the  Senate  the  stranger  would  turn  to  the  writer 
and  ask  his  name.  Each  time  when  he  learned  the  name  he 
would  make  some  remark  about  the  speaker,  evincing  such 
sense  and  judgment  that  it  would  attract  the  writer  of  this  to 


JN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  IIS 

the  stranger  himself,  a  manifestly  remarkable  man,  by  his 
side.  In  person  he  was  tall  and  slender,  but  commanding.' 
His  face  was  cast  in  the  most  intellectual  mould  and  was 
lighted  up  by  fires  of  the  highest  order  of  genius.  Never 
before,  the  writer  thought,  had  he  conversed  with  one  so  pre- 
eminently charming  and  fascinating.  His  attention  was  fre- 
quently drawn  from  some  senator  before  him  to  the  gentleman 
who  was  profoundly  interesting  him  by  his  questions  and  star- 
tling him  by  his  appropriate  and  brilliant  replies.  The  writer's 
voung:  mind  feasted  on  the  conversation  of  the  stranger.  It 
was  indeed  a  treat  and  a  feast,  which  he  can  never  forget  to 
his  latest  day.  At  length  ]\Ir.  Davis  rose  to  address  the  Senate. 
One  could  not  help  marking  the  increased  interest  which  the 
Mississippi  senator  seemed  to  arouse  in  the  stranger.  He  was 
evidently  intensely  interested  in  the  senator  from  first  to  last 
It  was  manifest  that  ]\Ir.  Davis  had  made  on  him  a  profound 
impression.  Nor  was  it  surprising  when  the  gentleman,  speak- 
ing with  considerable  emotion,  and  with  great  emphasis,  said 
at  the  conclusion  of  the  speech  of  the  senator  from  Missis- 
sippi: *IIe  impressed  me  more  by  dignity  of  manner  and 
speech  with  what  a  model  senator  should  be  than  any  other 
I  have  heard  address  the  Senate.'  Such  in  substance  were  his 
words,  with  more  to  the  same  effect. 

"This  conversation  the  writer  has  often  related  since  those 
days.  Having  never  seen  them  in  print,  he  was  surprised  to 
read  what  was  so  recently  told  in  the  Telegrajoh,  and  to  learn 
that  this  high  estimate  of  Jefferson  Davis  as  a  senator  had 
appeared  in  print  over  the  name  of  Mr.  Prescott. 

"Nq  one  was  more  capable  of  forming  a  correct  judgment  of 
men  than  the  author  of  the  'Conquest  of  Mexico.'  No  one 
among  us  was  more  versed  in  the  history  of  great  men  and  of 
great  deliberative  bodies.  Perhaps,  while  listening  to  the 
debates  of  the  American  Senate,  he  was  thinking  of  that  senate 
before  which  Cicero  'pleaded  the  cause  of  Cicily  against  Yer- 
8 


114  THE  DAVIS  3IEM0B1AL  VOLUME. 

res/ and  before  which  Tacitus  'thundered  against  the  oppres- 
sion of  Africa/ 

''Macon,  Ga.,  December  7th,  18S9.  J,  0.  A.  Clark." 

Mr.  Frank  H.  Alfriend,  in  his  interesting  *'  Life  of  Jefferson 
Davis,"  gives  so  just  an  estimate  of  his  senatorial  career  tliat 
we  quote  it  as  follows: 

''A  peculiar  feature  in  the  public  career  of  Mr.  Davis  was 
its  steady  and  consecutive  development.  He  has  accepted  ser- 
vice, always  and  onl}-,  in  obedience  to  the  concurrent  confidence 
of  his  fellow-citizens  in  his  peculiar  qualifications  for  the 
emergency.  From  the  beginning  he  gave  the  promise  of  those 
high  capacities  which  the  fervid  eulogy  of  Grattan  accorded 
to  Chatham — to  'strike  a  blow  in  the  world  that  should 
resound  through  its  history.'  His  first  election  to  Congress 
was  the  spontaneous  acknowledgment  of  the  profound  impres- 
sion i^roducedby  his  earliest  intellectual  efforts.  The  consum- 
mate triumph  of  his  genius  and  valor  at  Buena  Vista  did  not 
exceed  the  anticipations  of  his  friends,  who  knew  the  ardor 
and  assiduity  of  his  devotion  to  his  cherished  science,  and  now 
in  the  noble  arena  of  the  American  Senate  his  star  was  still  to 
be  in  the  ascendant. 

"At  the  first  session  of  the  Thirtieth  Congress,  Jefferson 
Davis  took  his  seat  as  a  Senator  of  the  United  States  from  the 
State  of  Mississippi.  The  entire  period  of  his  connections  with 
the  Senate,  from  1847  to  1851,  and  from  1857  to  1861,  scarcely 
comprises  eight  years;  but  those  were  years  pregnant  with  the 
fate  of  a  nation,  and  in  their  brief  progress  he  stood  in  that 
august  body  the  equal  of  giant  intellects,  and  grappled  with 
the  power  and  skill  of  a  master,  the  great  ideas  and  events  of 
those  momentous  days.  Mr.  Davis  could  safely  trust,  what- 
ever of  ambition  he  may  cherish  for  the  distinguished  consid- 
eration of  posterity,  to  a  faithful  record  of  his  service  in  the 
Senate.     His  senatorial  fame  is  a  beautiful  harmony  of  the 


AY  THE  ViVITEU  :<;TATES  SENATE 


115 


most  prono'inoed  and  attractive  features  of  the  best  parliamen- 
tary models,  lie  was  as  intrepid  and  defiant  as  Chatham,  but 
as  scholarly  as  Brougham;  as  elegant  and  ^perspicuous  in  dic- 
tion as  Canning,  and  often  as  profound  and  philosophical  in 
his  comprehension  of  general  jDrinciples  as  Burke;  when  roused 
by  a  sense  of  injury,  or  by  the  force  of  his  earnest  conviction, 
as  much  the  incarnation  of  fervor  and  zeal  as  Grattan,  but, 
like  Fox,  subtle,  ready,  and  always  armed  cap-a-pie  for  the 
quick  encounters  of  debate. 

"Among  all  the  eminent  associates  of  Mr.  Davis  in  that  body, 
there>were  very  few  who  possessed  his  peculiar  qualifications  for 
its  most  distinguished  honors.  His  character,  no  less  than  his 
demeanor,  may  be  aptly  termed  senatorial,  and  his  bearing  was 
always  attuned  to  his  noble  concejDtion  of  the  Senate  as  an 
august  assemblage  of  the  embassadors  of  sovereign  States. 
He  carried  to  the  Senate  the  loftiest  sense  of  the  dignity  and 
responsibility  of  his  trust,  and  convictions  upon  political  ques- 
tions, which  were  the  result  of  the  most  thorough  and  elaborate 
investigation.  Never  for  one  instant  varying  from  the  princi- 
ples of  his  creed,  he  never  doubted  as  to  the  course  of  duty; 
profound,  accurate  in  information,  tliere  was  no  question  per- 
taining to  the  science  of  government  or  its  administration  that 
he  did  not  illuminate  with-  a  light  clear,  powerful  and  original. 

"It  has  been  remarked  of  Mr.  Davis's  style  as  a  speaker,  that 
it  is  'orderly  rather  than  ornate,'  and  the  remark  is  correct  so 
far  as  it  relates  to  the  mere  statement  of  the  conditions  of  the 
discussion.  For  mere  rhetorical  glitter,  Mr.  Davis's  speeches 
afford  but  poor  models,  but  for  clear  logic  and  convincing  argu- 
ment, apt  illustration,  bold  and  original  imagery,  and  genuine 
pathos,  they  are  unsurpassed  by  any  ever  delivered  in  the 
American  Senate.  Though  the  Senate  was,  undoubtedly,  his 
appropriate  arena  as  an  orator,  and  though  it  may  well  be 
doubted,  whether  he  was  rivaled  i-n  senatorial  eloquence  by 
any  contemporary,  Mr.  Davis  is  hardly  less  gifted  in  the  attri- 


116  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

butes  of  j^opular  eloquence.  Upon  great  occasions  he  will 
move  a  large  crowd  with  an  irresistible  power.  As  a  popular 
orator,  he  does  not  seek  to  sway  and  toss  the  will  with  violent 
and  passionate  emotion,  but  his  eloquence  is  more  a  triumph 
of  argument  aided  by  an  enlistment  of  passion  and  persuasion 
to  reason  and  conviction.  He  has  less  of  the  characterics  of 
Mirabeau,  than  of  that  higher  type  of  eloCi[uence,  of  which 
Cicero,  Burke  and  George  Canning  were  representatives,  and 
which  is  pervaded  by  passion,  subordinated  to  the  severer  tri- 
bunal of  intellect.  It  was  the  privilege  of  the  writer,  ou 
repeated  occasions,  during  the  late  war.  to  witness  the  triumph 
of  Mr.  Davis's  eloquence  over  a  popular  assemblage.  Usually 
the  theme  and  the  occasion  were  worthy  of  the  orator,  and 
difficult  indeed  would  it  be  to  realize  a  nobler  vision  of  the 
majesty  of  intellect.  To  a  current  of  thought,  perennial  and 
inexhaustible,  compact,  logical  and  irresistible,  was  added  a 
fire  that  threw  its  warmth  into  the  coldest  bosom,  and  infused 
a  glow  of  light  into  the  very  core  of  the  subject.  His  voice, 
flexible  and  articulate,  reaching  any  compass  that  was  requi- 
site, attitude  and  gestures,  all  conspired  to  give  power  and 
expression  to  his  language,  and  the  hearer  was  impressed  as 
though  in  the  presence  of  the  very  transfiguration  of  eloquence. 
The  printed  efforts  of  Mr.  Davis  will  not  only  live  as  memo- 
rials of  parliamentary  and  popular  eloquence,  but  as  invalua- 
ble stores  of  information  to  the  political  and  historical  student. 
They  epitomize  some  of  the  most  important  periods  of  Ameri- 
can history,  and  embrace  the  amplest  discussion  of  an 
extended  range  of  subjects  pertaining  to  almost  every  science. 
*'The  development  in  Mr.  Davis  of  the  high  and  rare  quali- 
ties, requisite  to  parliamentary  leadership,  was  rapid  and 
decisive.  His  nature  instinctively  aspires  to  influence  and 
power,  and  under  no  circumstances  could  it  rest  contented  in 
an  attitude  of  inferiority.  Independence,  originality,  and  intre- 
pidity, added  to  earnest  and  intelligent  conviction;  unwaver- 


IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  117 

ing  devotion  to  principle  and  purpose;  a  will  stern  and  inex- 
orable, and  a  disposition  frank,  courteous,  and  generous,  are 
features  of  character  which  rarely  fail  to  make  a  representa- 
tive man.  After  the  death -of  Mr.  Calhoun,  he  was  incompara- 
bly the  ablest  exponent  of  States' Rights  principle,  and  even 
during  the  life  of  that  great  publicist,  Mr.  Davis,  almost 
equally  with  him,  shared  the  labors  and  responsibilities  of 
leadership.  His  personal  courage  is  of  that  knightly  order, 
which  in  an  age  of  chivalry  would  have  sought  the  trophies  of 
the  tourney,  and  his  moral  heroism  fixed  him  immovably  upon 
the  solid  rock  of  principle,  indifferent  to  the  inconvenience  of 
being  in  a  minority  and  in  no  dread  of  the  storms  of  popular 
passion.  His  faith  in  his  principles  was  no  less  earnest  than 
his  confidence  in  his  ability  to  triumphantly  defend  them.  In 
the  midst  of  the  agitation  and  excitement  of  1850,  Henry  Clay, 
the  Great  Compromiser,  whose  brilliant  but  erring  genius  so 
long  and  fatally  led  estray,  from  the  correct  understanding  of 
the  vital  issue  at  stake  between  the  North  and  South,  a 
numerous  party  ot  noble  and  true-hearted  Southern  gentle- 
men, furnished  the  occasion  of  an  impressive  illustration  of 
this  quality.  Turning,  in  debate  to  the  Mississippi  Benator^, 
he  notified  the  latter  of  his  purpose,  ^t  some  future  day,  to 
debate  with  him  elaborately^  an  important  quesion  of  princi- 
ple. 'Now  is  the  moment,'  was  the  reply  of  the  intrepid 
Davis,  ever  eager  to  champion  his  beloved  and  imperiled 
South,  equally  against  her  avowed  enemies,  and  the  not  less 
fatal  policy  of  those  who  were  but  too  willing  to  compromise 
upon  an  issue  vital  to  her  tights  and  dignity.  And  what  a 
shock  of  arms  might  thea  have  been  witnessed,  could  Clay 
have  dispelled  thirty  years  of  his  ripe  three-score  and  ten! 
Each  would  have  found  a  foeman  worthy  of  his  steel.  In 
answer  to  this  bold  defiance,  Cla}^,  like  Hotspur,  would  haA^e 
rushed  to  the  charge,  with  visor  up  and  lance  couchant;  and 
Davis,  another  Saladin,  no  less  frank  than  his  adversary;  but 


118  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

far  more  dexterous,  would  have  met  him  with  a  flash  of  that 
Damascus  scymetar,  whose  first  hlow  severed  the  neck  of  the 
foeman. 

"That  would  have  been  a  bold  ambition  that  could  demand 
a  formal  tender  of  leadership  from  the  brilliant  array  of  gal- 
lant gentlemen,  ripe  scholars,  distinguished  orators  and  states- 
men, who,  for  twenty  j-ears  before  the  war,  were  the  valiant 
champions  in  Congress  of  the  principles  and  aspirations  of  the 
South.  Yet  few  will  deny  the  pre-eminence  of  Mr.  Davis,  in 
the  eye  of  the  country  and  the  world,  among  States'  Kights 
leaders.  Ecjually  with  Mr.  Calhoun,  as  the  leader  of  a  great 
intellectual  movement,  he  stamped  his  impress  upon  the  endur- 
ing tablets  of  time, 

"Like  Mr.  Calhoun,  too,  JNIr.  Davis  gave  little  evidence  of 
capacity  or  taste  for  mere  i^arty  tactics.  Neither  would  have  per- 
formed the  duties  of  drill-sergeant,  in  local  organizations,  for 
the  purposes  of  a  political  canvass,  so  well  as  hundreds  of  men 
of  far  lighter  caliber  and  less  stability.  Happily,  both  sought 
and  found  a  more  congenial  field  of  action. 

"The  unexpired  term, for  which  Mr.  Davis  had  been  elected 
in  1S47,  ended  in  1851,  and,  though  he  was  immediately  re- 
elected, in  consequence  of  his  subsecpient  resignation  his  first 
service  in  the  Senate  ended  with  the  term  for  which  he  had 
first  been  elected.  A  recurrence  to  the  records  of  Congress  will 
exhibit  the  eventful  nature  of  this  period,  especially  in  its  con- 
clusion. In  the  earlier  portion  of  his  senatorial  service,  Mr. 
Davis  participated  conspicuously  in  debate  and  in  the  general 
business  of  legislation.  Here,  as  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, his  views  upon  military  affairs  were  always  received  with 
marked  respect,  and  no  measure  looking  to  the  improvement 
of  the  army  failed  to  receive  his  cordial  co-operation." 

The  high  debates  of  those  stirring  times  are  well  worthy  of 
careful  study,  and  no  unprejudiced  man  can  give  them  even  a 


IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE. 


119 


casual  reading  without  seeing  that  the  Senator  from  Missis- 
sippi was  the  peer  of  any  of  his  colleagues. 

The  excellent  sketch  in  the  Times-Democrat,  from  which  we 
have  quoted  so  freely,  thus  gives  this  part  of  Mr.  Davis's 
career : 

"  The  new  senator  took  his  seat  at  the  opening  of  the  first 
session  of  the  Thirtieth  Congress,  in  December,  1847,  and  held 
it  during  the  four  sessions  next  ensuing.  The  reputation 
which  he  had  achieved  as  a  soldier  gave  special  weight  to  his 
opinions  on  questions  relating  to  the  army,  and  he  was  made 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  military  affairs.  It  was  not  as 
a  specialist,  however,  that  he  became  chiefly  distinguished. 
While  never  neglectful  of  the  subjects  with  which  he  was 
especially  charged,  his  most  earnest  attention  was  given  to 
questions  of  statesmanship  involving  great  constitutional  jirin- 
ciples, 

"It  was  while  serving  as  chairman  of  the  military  commit- 
tee of  the  Senate  that  a  controversy  arose  with  General  Scott, 
growing  out  of  his  real  or  supposed  opposition  to  the  measures 
jD reposed  in  Congress  for  conferring  additional  rank  and  pay 
upon  that  distinguished  officer.  The  misunderstanding  that 
ensued  led  afterward  to  an  unfriendly  and  somewhat  embit- 
tered correspondence,  and  no  restoration  of  harmony  between 
them  was  ever  fully  effected. 

"In  the  canvass  of  1848  General  Taylor,  the  father-in-law 
and  late  military  chief  of  Colonel  Davis,  was  the  Whig  candi- 
date for  the  presidency,  and  General  William  O.  Butler,  his 
division  commander  at  Monterey,  the  Democratic  candidate 
for  vice-presidency.  As  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party. 
Colonel  Davis  supported  Cass  and  Butler,  but  without  any  rup- 
ture of  his  personal  friendly  relations  with  Taylor,  who  was 
elected. 

"  General  Taylor  succeeded  Mr.  Polk  in  the  presidency  on 
the  4th  of  March,  1849.     In  the  next  ensuing  Congress  (the 


120  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

Thirty-first)  occurred  the  culmination  of  the  controversies 
arising  out  of  the  recent  acquisitions  of  new  territory  after  the 
war  with  Mexico.  In  these  Colonel  Davis  took  an  active  and 
leading  part.  He  opposed  the  plan  of  compromise  proposed 
by  Mr.  Clay  and  eventually  adopted,  after  some  modification 
of  its  details.  Although  opposed  to  the  principles  on  which 
the  Missouri  compromise  was  originally  adopted,  yet  he  favored, 
as  a  measure  of  conciliation,  the  extending  of  the  compromise 
line,  already  agreed  upon,  through  the  newly  acquired  terri- 
tory to  the  Pacific.  This  proposition,  however,  was  defeated 
by  a  sectional  majority. 

"In  1850  the  legislature  of  Mississippi  re-elected  him  to  the 
Senate,  as  his  own  successor,  for  the  full  term  ensuing — from 
1851  to  1857.  The  legislature,  at  the  same  session,  provided 
for  the  call  of  a  convention,  in  the  course  of  the  ensuing  year, 
to  consider  the  questions  then  agitating  the  country. 

"Meantime  certain  modifications  of  party  lines  had  been 
taking  place.  A  j)ortion  of  the  democratic  party,  alarmed  by 
what  they  regarded  as  indications  of  a  rupture  of  the  Union, 
had  united  with  the  whigs  in  some  of  the  Southern  States — 
notably  in  South  Carolina  and  Mississippi — in  the  formation 
of  a  Union  party — so  styled  by  its  organizers — while  a  smaller 
section  of  whigs,  on  the  other  hand,  under  apprehension  of 
intolerable  Federal  encroachments  upon  the  rights  of  the  States, 
had  combined  with  the  majority  of  the  democrats,  for  the 
maintenance  of  State  rights  at  all  hazards.  Of  this  latter 
party  Mr.  Davis  had  become,  since  the  death  of  Mr.  Calhoun, 
in  March,  1850,  if  not  the  head,  at  least  one  of  the  most  emi- 
nent and  conspicuous  leaders,  especially  in  his  own  State.  He 
always,  however,  earnestly,  and,  no  doubt,  sincerely,  disavowed 
any  sympathy  with  disunion  sentiment,  and  on  one  occasion 
had  declared  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate  that  if  any  respectable 
man  should  call  him  a  disunionist,  he  would  'answer  him  in 
monosyllables.' " 


jy  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE. 


VZi 


But  we  cannot  better  portray  the  senatorial  career  of  Mr. 
Davis  at  this  period  than  by  quoting  his  own  modest  account 
of  it  as  given  in  his  "Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Confederate  Gov- 
ernment."    He  says: 

"  The  first  session  of  the  Thirty-first  Congress  (1849  -'50)  was 
a  memorable  one.  The  recent  acquisition  from  Mexico  of  New 
Mexico  and  California  required  legislation  by  Congress.  In 
.the  Senate  the  bills  reported  by  the  Committee  on  Territories 
were  referred  to  a  select  committee,  of  which  Mr.  Clay,  the  dis- 
tinguished Senator  from  Kentucky,  was  chairman.  From  this 
committee  emanated  the  bills  which,  taken  together,  are  known 
as  the  compromise  measures  of  1850.    ' 

"With  some  others,  I  advocated  the  division  of  the  newly 
acquired  territory  by  an  extension  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  of  the 
Missouri  compromise  line  of  thirty-six  degrees  and  thirty  min- 
utes north  latitude.  This  was  not  because  of  any  inherent 
merit  or  fitness  in  that  line,  but  because  it  had  been  accepted 
by  the  country  as  a  settlement  of  the  sectional  question  which, 
thirty  years  before,  had  threatened  a  rupture  of  the  Union,  and 
it  had  acquired  in  the  public  mind  a  prescriptive  respect  which 
it  seemed  unwise  to  disregard.  A  majority,  however,  decided 
otherwise,  and  the  line  of  political  conciliation  was  then  obliter- 
ated, as  far  as  it  lay  in  the  power  of  Congress  to  do  so.  An 
analysis  of  the  vote  will  show  that  this  result  was  effected 
almost  exclusively  by  the  representatives  of  the  North,  and 
that  the  South  was  not  responsible  for  an  action  which  proved 
to  be  the  opening  of  Pandora's  box.* 

"  However  objectionable  it  may  have  been  in  1820  to  adopt 
that  political  line  as^  expressing  a  geographical  definition  of 
different  sectional  interests,  and  however  it  may  be  condemned 

"  *The  vote  in  the  Senate  on  the  proposition  to  ccutinue  the  line  of  the  Missouri  compro- 
mise through  the  newly  acquired  territory  to  the  Pacific  was  twenty-four  yeas  to  thirty-four 
nays.  Reclioning  Delaware  and  Missouri  las  Southern  States,  the  vote  of  the  two  sections 
was  exactly  equal.  The  yeas  were  all  cast  by  Southern  Senators ;  the  nays  were  all  Nortlv 
em,  except  two  irom  Delaware,  one  from  Missouri,  and  one  from  Kentucky." 


122  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

as  the  assumption  by  Congress  of  a  function  not  delegated  lo 
it,  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  act  had  received  such  recog- 
nition and  g'lMSi- ratification  by  the  people  of  the  States  as  to 
give  it  a  value  which  it  did  not  originally  jDOSsess.  Pacifica- 
tion had  been  the  fruit  borne  by  the  tree,  and  it  should  not 
have  been  recklessly  hewed  down  and  cast  into  the  fire.  The 
frequent  assertion  then  made  was  that  all'  discrimination  was 
unjust,  and  that  the  popular  will  should  be  left  untrammeled 
in  the  formation  of  new  States.  This  theory  was  good  enough 
in  itself,  and  as  an  abstract  proposition  could  not  be  gainsaid; 
but  its  j^ractical  operation  has  but  poorly  sustained  the  expec- 
tations of  its  advocates,  as  will  be  seen  when  we  come  to  con- 
sider the  events  that  occurred  a  few  years  later  in  Kansas  and 
elsewhere.  Retrospectively  viewed  under  the  mellowing  light 
of  time,  and  with  the  calm  consideration  we  can  usually  give 
to  the  irremediable  past,  the  compromise  legislation  of  1850 
bears  the  impress  of  that  sectional  spirit  so  widely  at  variance 
with  the  general  purposes  of  the  Union,  and  so  destructive  of 
the  harmony  and  mutual  benefit  which  the  constitution  was 
intended  to  secure. 

''  The  refusal  to  divide  the  territory  acquired  from  Mexico 
by  an  extension  of  the  line  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  to  the 
Pacific  was  a  consequence  of  the  purpose  to  admit  California 
as  a  State  of  the  Union  before  it  had  acquired  the  requisite 
population,  and  while  it  was  mainly  under  the  control  of  a 
military  organization  sent  from  Kew  York  during  the  war  with 
Mexico  and  disbanded  in  California  upon  the  restoration  of 
peace.  The  inconsistency  of  the  argument  against  the  exten- 
sion of  the  line  was  exhibited  in  the  division  of  the  Territory 
of  Texas  by  that  parallel,  and  payment  to  the  State  of  money 
to  secure  her  consent  to  the  partition  of  her  domain.  In  the 
case  of  Texas,  the  North  had  everything  to  gain  and  nothing 
to  lose  by  the  application  of  the  practice  of  geographical  com- 
promise on  a  arbitrary  line.     In  the  case  of  California,  the 


IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE. 


V23 


conditions  were  reversed;  the  South  might  have  been  the 
gainer  and  the  North  the  loser  by  a  recognition  of  the  same  rule  * 

"  The  compensation  which  it  was  alleged  that  the  South  re- 
ceived was  a  more  effective  law  for  the  rendition  of  fugitives 
from  service  or  labor.  But  it  is  to  be  remarked  that  this  law 
provided  for  the  execution  by  the  general  government  of  obli- 
gations which  had  been  imposed  by  the  Federal  compact  upon 
the  several  States  of  the  Union.  The  benefit  to  be  derived  from 
a  fulfillment  of  that  law  would  be  small  in  comparison  with  the 
evil  to  result  from  the  plausible  pretext  that  the  States  had 
thus  been  relieved  from  a  duty  which  they  had  assumed  in  the 
adoption  of  the  compact  of  union.  Whatever  tended  to  lead  the 
people  of  any  of  the  States  to  feel  that  they  could  be  relieved 
from  their  constitutional  obligations  by  transferring  them  to 
the  general  government,  or  that  they  miglit  thus  or  otherwise 
evade  or  resist  them,  could  not  fail  to  be  like  the  tares  which 
the  enemy  sowed  amid  the  wheat.  The  union  of  States,  formed 
to  secure  the  permanent  welfare  of  posterity  and  to  promote  har- 
mony among  the  constituent  States,  could  not,  without  chang- 
ing its  character,  survive  such  alienation  as  rendered  its  parts 
hostile  to  the  security,  prosperity,  and  happiness  of  one  another. 

"  It  was  reasonably  argued  that,  as  the  legislatures  of  four- 
teen of  the  States  had  ena^ed  what  were  termed  'personal 
liberty  laws,'  which  forbade  the  co-operation  of  State  officials 
in  the  rendition  of  fugitives  from  service  and  labor,  it  became 
necessary  that   the   general   government  should  provide  the 

"  *N0TE. — While  the  compromise  measures  of  1830  were  pending,  and  the  excitement  con- 
cerning them  was  at  its  highest,  I  one  day  overtook  Mr.  Clay,  of  Kentucky,  and  Mr.  Ber- 
rien, of  Georgia,  in  the  Capitol  grounds.  They  were  in  earnest  conversation.  It  was  the 
7ih  of  March— the  day  on  which  Mr.  Webster  had  delivered  his  great  speech.  Mr.  Clay, 
addressing  me  in  the  friendly  manner  which  he  had  always  employed  sines  I  was  a  school 
boy  in  Lexington,  asked  m.e  Avhat  I  thought  of  the  speech.  I  liked  it  better  that  he  did. 
He  then  suggested  that  I  should 'join  the  compromise  men,'  saying  that  it  was  a  measure 
which  he  thought  would  probably  give  peace  to  the  country  for  thirty  years  —the  period  that 
had  elapsed  since  the  adoption  of  the  compromise  of  1S20.  Then,  turning  to  Mr.  Berrien,  he 
said,  '  You  and  1  will  be  under  ground  belore  that  time,  but  our  young  friend  here  may 
have  trouble  to  meet.'  I  somewhat  impatiently  declared  my  unwillingness  to  transfer  to 
posterity  a  trial  which  they  would  be  relatively  less  able  to  meet  than  we  were,  and  passed 
on  my  way." 


124  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

requisite  machinery  for  the  execution  of  the  law.  The  result 
proved  what  might  have  been  anticipated — that  those  commu- 
nities which  had  repudiated  their  constitutional  obligations, 
which  had  nullified  a  previous  law  of  Congress  for  the  execu- 
tion of  a  provision  of  the  Constitution,  and  had  murdered  men 
who  came  peacefully  to  recover  their  property,  would  evade  or 
obstruct,  so  as  to  render  practically  worthless,  amj  law  that 
could  be  enacted  for  that  purpose.  In  the  exceptional  cases  in 
which  it  might  be  executed,  the  event  would  be  attended  with 
such  conflict  between  the  State  and  Federal  authorities  as  to  pro- 
duce consequent  evils  greater  than  those  it  was  intended  to 
correct. 

"It  was  during  the  progress  of  these  memorable  controver- 
sies that  th«  South  lost  its  most  trusted  leader,  and  the  Senate 
its  greatest  and  purest  statesman.     He  was  taken  from  us — 

'  Like  a  summer-dried  fountain. 
When  our  need  was  the  sorest ; ' 

when  his  mtellectual  power,  his  administrative  talent,  his  love 
of  jDcace,  and  his  devotion  to  the  Constitution,  might  have 
averted  collision;  or,  failing  in  that,  he  might  have  been  to 
the  South  the  Palinurus  to  ;steer  the  bark;in  safety  over  the 
perilous  sea.  Truly  did  Mr.  Webster — his  personal  friend, 
although  his  greatest  political  rival — say  of  him  in  his  obitu- 
ary address,  'There  was  nothing  groveling,  or  low,  or  meanly 
selfish,  that  came  near  the  head  or  the  heart  of  Mr.  Calhoun. 
His  prophetic  warnings  speak  from  the  grave  with  the  wisdom 
of  inspiration.  Would  that  they  could  have  been  appreciated 
by  his  countrymen  while  he  yet  lived  I 

"  I  had  been  re-elected  by  the  Legislature  of  Mississippi  as 
my  own  successor,  and  entered  upon  a  new  term  of  service  in 
the  Senate  on  March  4,  1851. 

"On  my  return  to  Mississippi  in  1851,  the  subject  chiefly 
agitating  the  public  mind  was  that  of  the  'compromise'  meas- 
ures of  the  previous  year.  Consequent  upon  these  was  a  pro- 
position foi  a  convention  of  delegates,  from  the  people  of  the 


O    CD 

So 


3  « 

W   >" 

5P 


126  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Southern  States,  respectively,  to  consider  what  steps  ought  to 
be  taken  for  their  future  peace  and  safety,  and  the  preservation 
of  their  constitutional  rights.  Thero  was  diversity  of  opinion 
with  regard  to  the  merits  of  the  measures  referred  to,  but  the 
disagreement  no  longer  followed  the  usual  lines  of  party  divis- 
ion. They  who  saw  in  those  measures  the  forerunner  of  dis- 
aster to  the  South  had  no  settled  policy  beyond  a  convention' 
the  object  of  which  should  be  to  devise  new  and  more  effec- 
tual guarantees  against  the  perils  of  usurpation.  They  were 
unjustly  charged  with  a  desire  to  destroy  the  Union — a  feel- 
ing entertained  by  few,  very  few,  if  by  any,  in  Mississippi,  and 
avowed  by  none. 

''There  were  many,  however,  who  held  that  the  principles 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  the  purposes  for  which 
the  Union  was  formed,  were  of  higher  value  than  the  mere 
Union  itself.  Independence  existed  before  the  compact  of 
union  between. the  States;  and  if  that  compact  should  be  bro- 
ken in  part,  and  therefore  destroyed  in  whole,  it  was  hoped 
that  the  liberties  of  the  people  in  the  States  might  still  be  pre- 
served. Those  who  were  most  devoted  to  the  Union  of  the 
Constitution  might,  consequently,  be  expected  to  resist  most 
sternly  any  usurpation  of  undelegated  power,  the  effect  of  which 
would  be  to.warp  the  Federal  government  from  its  proper  char- 
acter, and,  by  sapping  the  foundation,  to  destroy  the  Union  of 
the  States. 

"My  recent  re-election  to  the  United  States  Senate  had  con- 
ferred upon  me  for  six  years  longer  the  office  which  I  preferred 
to  all  others.  I  could  not,  therefore,  be  suspected  of  desiring 
a  nomination  for  any  other  office  from  the  Democratic  Conven- 
tion, the  meeting  of  which  was  then  drawing  near.  Having,  as 
a  Senator  of  the  State,  freely  participated  in  debate  on  the 
measures  which  were  now  exciting  so  much  interest  in  the  pub- 
lic mind,  it  was  very  proper  that  1  should  visit  the  people  in 
different  parts  of  the  State  and  render  an  account  of  my  stew- 
ardship. 


IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE. 


127 


"My  devotion  to  the  Union  of  our  fathers  had  been  so  often 
and  so  publicly  declared — I  had,  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate,  so 
defiantly  challenged  any  question  of  my  fidelity  to  it;  my  ser- 
vices, civil  and  military,  had  now  extended  through  so  long  a 
period,  and  were  so  generally  known — that  I  felt  quite  assured 
that  no  whisperings  of  envy  or  ill  will  could  lead  the  people  of 
Mississippi  to  believe  that  I  had  dishonored  their  trust  by  using 
the  power  they  had  conferred  on  me  to  destroy  the  Government 
to  which  I  was  accredited.  Then,  as  afterward,!  regarded tlie 
separation  of  the  States  as  a  great,  though  not  the  greatest,  evil. 

"I  returned  from  my  tour  among  the  people  at  the  time  ap- 
pointed for  the  meeting  of  the  nominating  convention  of  the 
Democratic  (or  State-Rights)  party.  During  the  previous  year 
the  Governor,  General  John  A.  Quitman,  had  been  compelled 
to  resign  his  office  to  answer  an  indictment  against  him  for  com- 
plicity with  the  'filibustering'  expeditions  against  Cuba.  The 
charges  were  not  sustained;  many  of  the  Democi'atic  party  of 
Mississippi,  myself  included,  recognized  a  consequent  obligation 
to  renominate  him  for  the  office  of  which  he  had  been  deprived. 
Wh'^n,  however,  the  delegates  met  in  i^arty  convention,  the 
committee  appointed  to  select  candidates,  on  comparison  of 
opinions,  concluded  that,  in  view  of  the  effort  to  fix  upon  the 
party  the  imputation  of  a  purpose  of  disunion,  some  of  the 
antecedents  of  General  Quitman  might  endanger  success.  A 
proposition  was  therefore  made,  in  the  committee  on  nomina- 
tions, that  I  should  be  invited  to  become  a  candidate,  and  that, 
if  General  Quitman  would  withdraw,  my  acceptance  of  the 
nomination  and  the  resignation  of  my  place  in  the  United 
States  Senate,  which  it  was  known  would  result,  was  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  the  appointment  by  the  Governor  of  General  Quitman 
to  the  vacated  place  in  the  Senate.  I  offered  no  objection  to 
this  arrangement,  but  left  it  to  General  Quitman  to  decide. 
He  claimed  the  nomination  for  the  governorship,  or  nothing 
and  was  so  nominated. 


128  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

"To  promote  the  success  of  the  Democratic  nominees,  I 
engaged  activelj''  in  the  canvass,  and  continued  in  the  field  until 
stricken  down  by  disease.  This  occurred  just  before  the  elec- 
tion of  delegates  to  a  State  convention,  for  which  provision  had 
been  made  by  the  legislature,  and  the  canvass  for  which,  con- 
ducted in  the  main  upon  party  lines,  was  in  progress  simulta- 
neously with  that  for  the  ordinary  State  officers.  The  Demo- 
cratic majority  in  the  State  when  the  canvass  began  was  esti- 
mated at  eight  thousand.  At  this  election,  in  September,  for 
delegates  to  the  State  convention,  we  were  beaten  by  about 
seven  thousand  five  hundred  votes.  Seeing  in  this  result  the 
foreshadowing  of  almost  inevitable  defeat,  General  Quitman 
withdrew  from  the  canvass  as  a  candidate,  and  the  executive 
committee  of  the  party  (empowered  to  fill  vacancies)  called  on 
me  to  take  his  place.  My  health  did  not  permit  me  to  leave 
home  at  that  time,  and  only  about  six  weeks  remained  before 
the  election  was  to  take  place;  but,  being  assured  that  I  was 
not  expected  to  take  any  active  part,  and  that  the  party  asked 
only  the  use  of  my  name,  I  consented  to  be  announced,  and 
immediately  resigned  from  the  United  States  Senate.  Never- 
theless, I  soon  afterward  took  tlie  field  in  person,  and  worked 
earnestly  until  the  day  of  election.  I  was  defeated,  but  the 
majority  of  more  than  seven  thousand  votes,  that  had  been 
cast  a  short  time  before  against  the  party  with  which  I  was 
associated,  was  reduced  to  less  than  one  tliousand.* 

"*The  following  letter,  -written  in  1S53  to  the  Hon.  William  J.  Brown,  of  Indiana, 
formeriy  a  member  of  Congress  from  that  State,  and  subsequently  published,  relates  to  the 
events  of  this  period,  and  affords  nearly  contemporaneous  evidence  in  confirmation  of  the 
statements  of  the  text : 

"  Washington,  D.  C,  May  7, 1S53. 

"My  Dear  Sir:  I  received  the  f^ent'ncl  containing  your  defense  of  me  against  the  false 
accusation  of  disunionism,  and,  before  I  had  returned  to  you  the  thanks  to  which  you  are 
entitled,  I  received  this  day  the  St.  Joseph  Valley  Register,  marked  by  you,  to  call  my  atten- 
tion to  an  article  in  answer  to  your  defense,  which  was  just  in  all  things,  save  your  too  com- 
plimentary terms. 

"  I  wish  I  had  the  letter  quoted  from,  that  you  might  publish  the  whole  of  that  which  is 
garbled  to  answer  a  purpose.  In  a  part  of  the  letter  not  published,  I  put  such  a  damper  or. 
the  attempt  to  fix  on  me  the  desire  to  break  up  our  Union,  and  presented  other  points  in  a 
form  so  little  acceptable  to  the  unfriendly  inquiries,  that  the  publication  of  the  letter  had  to 
De  drawn  out  of  them. 


IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATlJ.  129 

"In  this  canvass,  both  before  and  after  I  became  a  candi- 
date, no  argument  or  appeal  of  mine  was  directed  against  the 
perpetuation  of  the  Union.  Believing,  however,  that  the 
signs  of  the  time  portended  danger  to  the  South  from  the 
usurpation  by  the  general  government  of  undelegated  powers, 
I  counseled  that  Mississippi  should  enter  into  the  proposed 
meeting  of  the  people  of  the  Southern  States,  to  consider  what 

"  At  the  risU  of  beia^  wearisome,  bat  eiicourdjed  by  your  marke.3  friendship,  I  will  give 
yon  a  statemoat  ia  thi  case.  Tlie  mcetiii;  of  October,  1S4D,  was  a  convention  of  delegates 
equally  representing  the  Wliig  and  Domooratic  parties  in  Mississippi.  The  resolutions  were 
de  'isivo  as  tj  equality  of  right  in  the  Soath  with  the  Nonh  to  the  Territories  acquired  from 
Mexico,  an  1  p^opo^ed  a  cinvention  of  the  Southern  States.  I  was  not  a  member,  but  on 
invitation  aldrescd  the  convention.  The  succeeding  legislature  in.'^tructcd  m:,  as  a  Sena- 
tor, to  assert  tlii3  equal  ty,  and,  unier  the  existing  circumstances,  ti  resist  by  a'l  onstitu- 
tional  means  t'.ie  admissi  in  of  California  as  a  State.  At  a  called  §3ssion  of  the  legislature  ia 
1810,  a  self-constituted  committee  called  on  me,  by  letter,  for  my  views.  They  were  men 
who  had  enacted  or  approved  the  resolutions  of  the  convjntion  of  1343,  and  instrurted  me 
as  members  of  the  legislature,  in  regular  session,  in  the  early  part  of  the  yearlS30.  To  them 
]  replied  that  I  adhered  to  the  policy  they  had  indicated  and  instructed  mo  in  their  cfiicial 
character  to  pursue. 

"1  pointed  out  the  mode  in  which  their  policy  could,  in  my  opinion,  be  executed  with- 
out bloodshed  or  disastrous  convulsion,  tut  in  terms  of  bi'tcr  scorn  alluded  to  such  as  would 
insult  me  with  a  desire  to  destroy  the  Union,  for  which  my  whole  life  proved  me  to  be  a 
devotee. 

"Pardon  the  egotism,  in  consideration  of  the  occasion,  when  I  say  to  you  that  my  father 
and  iny  uncles  fought  through  the  llevolution  of  177G,  giving  their  youth,  their  blood,  and 
their  little  patrimony  to  the  co:istitutional  freedom  which  I  claim  as  my  inlicritance.  Three 
of  my  brothers  fought  in  the  war  of  1S12.  Two  of  them  were  comrades  of  the  Hero  of  the 
Hermitage,  and  received  his  commendation  for  gallantry  at  New  Orleans.  At  sixteen  years 
of  age  I  was  given  to  the  service  of  my  country  ;  for  twelve  years  of  my  life  I  have  borne  its 
arms  and  served  it  zealously,  if  not  well.  As  I  feel  the  infirmities,  which  suffering  more 
than  age  has  brought  upon  me.  it  would  be  a  bitter  reflection,  indeed,  if  I  was  forced  to 
cone. udc  that  my  countrymen  would  hold  all  this  light  when  weighel  against  the  em:;ty 
panegyric  which  a  time-serving  politician  can  bestow  upon  the  Union,  for  which  he  never 
made  a  sacrifice. 

'  In  the  Senate  1  announced  that.  If  any  respectable  man  would  call  me  a  disunionist,  i 
would  answer  him  in  mouosyllables  .  .  .  Cut  I  \a.vo  often  asserted  the  right,  for  which  the 
battles  of  the  Revolution  were  fought— the  right  of  a  people  to  change  then'  government 
whenever  it  was  found  to  be  oppressive,  and  subversive  of  the  objects  for  which  govern- 
ments are  instituted— and  have  contended  for  the  independence  and  sovereignty  of  the 
States,  a  part  of  the  creed  of  which  Jefferson  was  the  apostle,  liIadisGn  the  expounder,  and 
Jackson  the  consistent  defender. 

'■  I  have  writcn  freely,  and  more  than  T  designed.  Accept  my  thanks  for  your  friendly 
advocacy.  Present  me  in  terms  of  kind  remembrance  to  your  family,  and  believe  me,  very 
sincerely  yotu^,  Jeffehscv  Davis. 

"  Note.— No  party  in  Mississippi  ever  advocated  disunion.  They  differed  as  tc  the  mode 
of  securing  their  rights  in  the  Union,  and  on  the  power  of  a  State  to  secede — neither  advo- 
cating the  exercise  ol  the  power.  J.  Jj." 

0 


130  THE  DA  VIS  MEMOBIA  L  VOL  UME. 

could  and  should  be  done  to  insure  our  future  safety,  frankly 
stating  my  conviction  that,  unless  such  action  was  taken  then, 
sectional  rivalry  would  engender  greater  evils  in  the  future, 
and  that,  if  the  controversy  was  postponed,  *  the  last  opportu- 
nity for  a  peaceful  solution  would  be  lost,  then  the  issue  would 
have  to  be  settled  by  blood.' " 


X. 


SECRETARY  OF  WAR  UxNDER  FRANKLll\ 
PIERCE. 


The  admirable  sketch  from  which  we  have  so  often  Cjuoted 
so  well  describes  the  career  of  Mr.  Davis  as  Secretary  of  "War 
that  we  do  not  hesitate  to  give  it  in  full : 

"After  seven  years  of  almost  uninterruptedly  continuous 
public  service,  either  civil  or  militar}',  Mr.  Davis  was  now  in 
retirement  for  some  months.  During  this  2">eriod  lie  has 
described  himself  as  happy  in  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  a  plan- 
ter, busily  engaged  in  cares  for  servants,  in  the  improve- 
ment of  his  land,  in  building,  in  rearing  live  stock,  and  tlie 
like  occupations.  lie  took,  nevertheless,  an  active  interest  in 
the  presidential  canvass  of  1852,  and  on  the  election  of  Gen- 
eral Pierce  was  invited  to  a  seat  in  his  cabinet.  This  offer  was 
at  first  declined,  but  having  accepted  an  invitation  to  attend  the 
inauguration,  which  took  place  on  the  4th  of  March,  1853,  he 
was  induced,  'by  public  considerations,'  on  its  renewal,  to  recon- 
sider the  matter  and  accept  the  offijce  of  Secretary  of  War. 

"Frequent  experience  has  proved  that  the  men  who  take 
broad  views,  based  upon  great  principles — the  men  who  are 
characterized,  with  some  covert  sarcasm,  as  'theorists,'  'doc- 
trinaires,'or  'abstractionists' — when  entrusted  with  the  respon- 
sibilities of  public  office  are  often,  if  not  always,  the  most 
practical  and  judicious  administrators — more  successful  than 
the  men  of  details. 

"It  was  so  with  Turgot  in  France,  and  Hamilton  in  America, 
in  matters  of  finance,  and  it  was  eminently  so  in  the  cases  of 

[181] 


132  THE  DA  VIS  MEMOBIAL  VOL  UME. 

John  C.  Calhoun  and  Jefferson  Davis — both  regarded  by  many 
as  'abstractionists,'  but  both,  by  general  admission,  among  the 
most  successful  administrators  that  have  ever  presided  over 
the  "War  Department  of  the  United  States. 

"With  regard  to  Mr.  Davis,  in  particular,  the  combinatioii 
of  the  speculative  in  principle  with  the  practical  in  action,  was 
one  the  most  distinctive  features  of  his  "character  throughout 
his  career,  and  has  already  been  the  subject  of  remark.  A  brief 
and  modest  account  of  the  leading  events  of  his  official  term 
is  given  in  one  of  the  preliminary  chapters  of  his  own  work, 
the  'Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Confederate  Government.' 

"Another  authority  (the  'American  Cyclopsedia')  says: 
'  His  administration  of  the  War  Department  was  marked  by 
ability  and  energy,  and  was  highly  popular  with  the  army. 
He  proposed  or  carried  into  effect,  among  other  measures,  the 
revision  of  the  army  regulations ;  the  introduction  of  camels 
into  America ;  the  introduction  of  the  light  infantry  or  rifle 
sj'stem  of  tactics ;  the  manufacture  of  rifled  muskets  and  pistols 
and  the  use  of  the  minieball;  the  addition  of  four  regiments 
to  the  army;  the  augmentation  of  the  sea  coast  and  frontier 
defenses;  and  the  system  of  explorations  in  the  western  part 
of  the  continent,  for  geographical  purposes  and  for  determin- 
ing the  best  route  for  a  railroad  to  the  Pacific' 

''To  these  may  be  added  certain  valuable  improvements  in 
the  casting  of  heavy  guns  and  the  manufacture  of  gunpowder. 

"The  Pacific  railroad  was  a  project  in  which  he  had  already 
taken  a  lively  interest  while! in  the  Senate.  On  the  surface  it 
may  have  seemed  contrary  to  the  Democratic  tradition  of  oppo- 
sition to  works  of  internal  improvement  by  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment, but  Mr.  Davis,  with  all  his  tenacity  of  adherence  to 
principle,  was  not  one  of  the  unbending  theorists  who  refuse  to 
recognize  the  existence  of  exceptional  cases  in  the  application 
of  general  principles.  He  advocated  this  measure  on  the 
grounds  of  the  'military  necessity  for  such  means  of  transporta- 


SECRETARY  OF  WAR  UNDER  PIERCE.  131 

tion,  and  the  need  of  safe  and  rapid  communication  with  the 
Pacific  slope,  to  secure  its  continuance  as  a  part  of  the  Union.' 

"With  regard  to  the  new  regiments  authorized  by  act  of  Con- 
gress in  1855,  the  appointment  of  the  officers  was  of  course  a 
power  vested  in  the  President, but  a  large  aiscretion  was  no  doubt 
entrusted  to  the  Secretary  in  making  the  selections — in  this 
probably  much  larger  than  usual  in  siuiilar  cases,  inasmuch 
as  he  was  a  trained  soldier,  of  no  little  experience,  familiar  with 
the  requirements  of  the  service  and  the  personnel  of  the  exist- 
ing army.  It  was  understood  that  the  appointments  were  to 
be  filled,  partly  by  promotion  or  transfer  of  officers  already 
holding  commissions  in  the  army,  and, partly  from  civil  life — 
many  of  the  latter  class  being  men  who  had,  given  evidence  of 
their  fitness  by  services  rendered  as  volunteers. 

"The  colonels  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  two  regi- 
ments of  cavalry  were  Edwin  V.  Sumner  and  Albert  Sidney 
Johnston;  the  lieutenant-colonels  were  Joseph  E.  Johnston  and 
Robert  E.  Lee;  the  majors,  William  H.  Emory,  John  Sedg- 
wick, William  J.  Hardee,  and  George  H.  Thomas.  These  were 
the  field  officers,  all  chosen  by  selection  from  the  army,  and  all 
graduates  of  West  Point.  Among  the  company  officers  are  found 
the  names  of  George  B.  ]\IcClellan,  Thomas  J.  Wood,  Robert  S. 
Garnett,  Earl  Van  Dorn,  E.  Kirby  Smith,  George  Stoneman, 
Innis  N.  Palmer,  Robert  Ransom,  David  S.  Stanley,  J.  E.  B. 
Stuart,  John  B.  Hood,  Fitzhugh  Lee,  and  others  who  afterward 
won  distinction  in  either  the  Federal  or  Confederate  service  of 
the  late  war. 

"  General  Early,  in  reply  to  an  absurd  statement  of  the 
Count  of  Paris,  analyzes  the  roster  of  these  two  cavalry  regi- 
ments and  shows  that  they  contributed  to  the  United  States 
army  nine  major-generals,  nine  brigadier-generals,  one  ins|)ector 
general  and  twelve  field  and  stafFofficers — thirty-one  altogether ; 
to  the  Confederate  army  five  full  generals,  one  lieutenant- 
general,  six  major-generals,  ten  brigadier-generals  and  two 
colonels — twenty-four  in  all.     He  very  pertinently  asks  wheth- 


134  IHE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

er  the  whole  array  besides,  as  it  stood  at  the  beginning  of 
the  war,  can  present  so  brilliant  a  record  as  that  furnished  by 
Mr.  Davis's  appointees  to  the  first  and  second  cavalry?  Tlie 
Count  of  Paris,  .seemingly  under  a  strange  misapprehension  or 
ignorance  of  the  facts,  says  that,  in  tlie  organization  of  these 
regiments,  '  ]\Ir.  Jefferson  Davis  then  Secretary  of  War,  took 
advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  fill  them -with  his  creatures,  to 
the  exclusion  of  rcgidar  officers,  ivhom  he  disliked.' 

"  The  truth  is  that,  as  already  stated,  all  the  field  officers 
of  the  two  regiments,  and  half,  or  more  than  half,  of  the  com- 
pany officers — including  every  one  of  the  names  mentioned 
above — were  ■  regular  officers.'  The  popular  complaint  against 
JMr.  Davis,  both  as  Secretary  of  War,  and  afterwards  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Confederate  States,  was  that  he  was  too  partial  to 
West  Point  and  military  science.  Perhaps  the  best  answer  to 
either  or  both  of  the  two  conflicting  charges  is  to  be  found  in 
the  record  which  his  '  creatures'  have  made  by  their  actions 
in  behalf  of  the  sagacity  of  his  selections. 

"  Mr.  Pierce  was  singularly  fortunate  in  the  choice  of  his 
cabinet.  It  furnishes  the  only  example  in  our  history  of 
unbroken  continuity,  without  a  single  change  of  any  of  its 
members,  from  beginning  to  end  of  his  official  term,  and  there 
is  3very  reason  to  believe  that  unusual  harmony  existed, 
although  as  Mi\  Davis  has  said  '  there  was  much  dissimilarity, 
if  not  incongruity  of  character,'  among  them.  He  himself  had 
been  elected  by  the  Mississippi  legislature  to  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States,  and  at  the  close  of  Mr.  Pierce's  term,  on  the  4tli 
of  IMarch,  1857,  passed  immediately  from  the  cabinet  to  take 
his  seat  in  the  Senate." 

There  has  been  published  in  the  papers  an  interview  with 
Judge  Campbell,  of  Philadelphia,  who  is  the  only  surviving 
member  of  Mr.  Pierce's  cabinet,  and  while  his  opinions  are 
not  always  accurate  or  unprejudiced,  yet  they  are  of  sufficient 
interest  to  o-iye  as  follow^s  : 


SECRETARY  OF  WAR  UNDER  PIERCE.  136 

"  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

"Ex-Judge  James  Campbell,  who  was  Postmaster-General  in ' 
the  cabinet  of  President  Franklin  Pierce,  is  living  in  this  city, 
full  of  3'cars,  but  hale  and  hearty. 

"Now that  Jefferson  Davis  is  dead,  ex- Judge  Campbell  is  the 
only  surviving  member  of  the  little  company  of  statesmen  who 
helped  the  nation's  Chief  IMagistrate  to  steer  the  ship  of  State 
through  the  dangerous  rocks  and  shoals  of  the  troublous  times 
before,  the  war.  Ominous  rumblings  of  the  awful  political 
storm  that  was  to  come  so  near  wrecking  the  Union  had 
already  been  heard.  The  weather-wise  foresaw  that  sooner  or 
later  the  good  ship  would  have  to  succumb  to  the«great  rock 
of  slavery  and  the  shrine  of  State  rights,  but  the  politicians  of 
that  day  managed  to  stave  off  the  peri?  for  a  while. 

"It  was  in  these  perilous  times,  when  the  air* of  the  capitol 
was  full  of  the  preliminary  mUtterings  of  the  c^'clone,  that  INIr 
Campbell  first  met  Jefferson  Davis,  in  the  official  family  of 
President  Pierce-— Mr.  Campbell  as  Postmaster-General  and 
Mr.  Davis  as  Secretary  of  War.  The  two  men — alike  only  in 
that  they  were  Democrats,  but  differing  in  all  else — became 
intimate  friends,  soon  to  be  separated  and  to  become  foes,  the 
one  to  lead  the  fight  under  tlie  banner  of  secession  and  the 
other  to  stand  by  the  old  flag  of  the  Union. 

"But  ex-Judge  Campbell  had  the  kindliest  feeling  for  his  old 
associate — the  bitterness  of  the  rebellion  has  long  died  out — 
and  he  likes  to  talk  with  affectionate  respect  of  his  distin- 
guislred  colleague  who  has  just  departed.  I  found  the  veteran 
Pennsylvania  Democrat  and  retired  lawyer  at  his  old-fashioned 
office  on  Sixth  street  to-day,  and  he  courteously  consented  to 
tell  me  something  about  Mr.  Davis. 

"Yes,"  said  ex-Judge  Campbell,  "I  knew  Jefferson  Davis 
well.  I  may  say  I  was  intimately  associated  with  him  from 
1853  to  1S57,  during  the  administration  of  President  Pierce, 
when  we  were  both  in  the  cabinet  together,  he  as  Secretary  of 


136  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  TIME. 

"War  and  I  as  Postmaster-General.  But  I  had  not  seen  him 
for  3"cars  before  his  death,  and  all  my  recollections  of  him  date 
back  to  a  time  before  you  were  born. 

"I  first  made  Davis's  acquaintance  in  IMarch,  1853,  when 
we  entered  the  cabinet  together,  and  onr  association  soon 
became  personal  as  well  as  official,  for — although  I  was  a 
Northern  man  and  he  a  Southern,  and  he  was  an  older  man 
than  I — he  seemed  to  take  a  fancy  to  me,  while  I  respected 
and  admired  him.  Our  relations  were  always  pleasant,  and 
wo  were  together  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  President 
Pierce's  term. 

"General  Pierce's  cabinet  was  peculiar  in  more  ways  than 
one.  It  was  tlie  only  cabinet  in  the  history  of  the  country 
that  remained  intact  tliroughout  the  entire  presidential  term, 
and  it  was  singularly  harmonious.  "We  had  the  entire  confi- 
dence of  the  President  and  he  had  ours,  and  he  trusted  more 
to  his  cabinet  officers  than  any  President  has  done  since.  The 
cabinet  nowadays  seems  to  be  a  mere  corps  of  clerks  who  record 
the  President's  wishes.  Pierce's  cabinet  officers  worked  together 
for  four  3'ears  without  the  slightest  difficulty  or  dissension." 

The  veteran  lawyer  pointed  to  a  group  of  small  engraved 
portraits  hanging  on  the  wall  bclnnd  his  desk.  They  were 
the  pictures  of  his  associates  in  Pierce's  cabinet.  The  strong 
heads  and  faces  of  William  L.  Marcy,  the  Secretary  of  State, 
and  of  Caleb  Gushing,  the  Attorney-General,  were  most  con- 
spicuous. ]\lr.  Davis  was  represented  as  a  man  of  forty-five, 
with  a  determined,  serious,  thoughtful  face  and  a  fine  head. 
The  picture  bears  little  resemblance  to  him  in  later  years. 

"  How  did  ]\Ir.  Davis  impress  me  ?  Well,  as  a  firm,  unyield- 
ing man,  of  strong  attachments,  politically  and  personally,  and 
equally  strong  in  his  dislil^ies.  I  believe  Davis  was  a  consci- 
entious, earnest  man.  I  am  sure  that  he  always  meant  to  be 
in  the  right. 


SECRETARY  OF  WAR  UNDER  PIERCE.  137 

"  IIo  was  unquestionably  an  able  man  and  a  leader,  and 
there  always  seemed  to  bo  something  of  the  soldier  about  him  ' 
- — the  result  of  inheritance  probably,  for  his  father  had  been  a 
soldier,  and  of  his  military  education  and  experience.  His 
tastes  lay  in  tliat  direction,  and  he  was  in  a  congenial  place  as 
Secretary  of  War.  Most  of  his  nearest  personal  friends  in 
Washington  -were  army  men. 

"  I  know  that  JcITerson  Davis  is  not  popularly  known  as  a 
social,  genial  man,  but  he  was,  as  I  came  to  know  him.  But 
he  was  not  much  of  a  diner  out,  or  anything  of  that  sort.  He 
was  very  quiet  and  domestic  in  liis  habits  and  correct  in  his 
private  life,  and  was  exceedingly  temperate  both  in  eating  and 
drinking.  These  abstemious  habits  he  must  have  kept  up  all 
his  life,or  he  never  could  hare  lived  to  be  eighty-one  years  of  age. 

"JefTerson  Davis  was  one  of  the  best  educated  men  whom  I 
ever  came  in  contact  M'ith.  His  acquirements  were  broad  and 
often  surprised  us.  Caleb  Gushing,  who  was  in  the  cabinet 
with  us,  was  one  of  the  most  highly  cultured  men  of  his  time, 
as  all  the  world  knows.  He  was  famous  for  his  retentive 
memory  and  an  extent  and  range  of  knowledge  that  was 
encyclopaedic.  President  Jeff.  Davis  wasn't  far  behind  Gushing, 
and  that  is  saying  a  great  deal. 

"  As  an  instance,  I  remember  on  one  occasion  we  were  talk- 
ing about  a  certain  medicine.  Mr.  Davis  went  into  a  minute 
analysis  and  scientific  description  of  its  nature  and  effects,  and 
seemed  to  know  as  much  about  it  as  though  he  were  an  edu- 
cated physician  who  had  made  a  special  study  of  the  subject. 

"  When  he  had  finished  I  asked : — '  For  Heaven's  sake,  Davis, 
where  did  you  learn  all  that?' 

"'Judge,'  he  replied,  'you  forget  that  I  have  had  to  learn 
something  of  medicine  so  as  to  take  care  of  the  negroes  on  my 
plantation.' 

"  Davis  was  a  reading  man,  especially  upon  historical  sub- 
jects.     He  was  particularly  interested  in  the  political  history 


138  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

of  his  country,  and  I  think  there  have  been  few  men  v/ho  were 
better  posted  in  that  Hne  than  Jeff.  Davis. 

"In  politics  he  was  one  of  the  most  stubborn  slavery  men 
whom  I  ever  met. 

"  He  was  a  political  disciple  of  Calhoun  in  all  his  most 
extreme  States'  Rights  views.  And  although  I  could  not  agree 
with  Mr.  Davis  on  this  point,  and  it  was  a  time  of  intense 
partisanship  and  the  bitterest  feelings,  which  were  soon  to 
break  out  in  secession  and  civil  war,  we  never  had  an  unplea- 
sant dispute.  Yet  we  always  talked  with  great  freedom. 
Davis  and  other  Southern  leaders,  and  especially  the  Senators 
from  the  Southern  States  with  whom  I  was  brought  into 
constant  official  intercourse,  talked  with  me  with  more  frank- 
ness than  to"most'Northern  men,  I  suppose  because  I  was  the 
son-in  law  of  an  Alabama  slave-holder.  In  those  days  North- 
ern and  Southern  democrats  alike  felt  that  there  would  be 
great  trouble  in  the  country  if  Fremont  was  elected.  Every- 
thing that  the  influence  of  the  administration  could  do  to  turn 
the  tide  in  favor  of  Buchanan  was  done.  I  went  into  the  fight 
as  earnestly  as  anybody,  because  I  feared  for  the  future." 

But  the  reader  will  prefer  to  have  ]\Ir.  Davis's  own  brief  and 
modest  account  of  his  administration  of  the  War  Department, 
which  he  at  first  positively  declined,  but  which  he  finally 
accepted  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  President  Pierce  and  the 
friends  of  the  administration. 

In  his  ''Pise  and  Fall  of  the  Confederate  Government,"  he 
says: 

"While  in  the  Senate  I  had  advocated  the  construction  of 
a  railway  to  connect  the  valley  of  the  -INIississippi  with  the 
Pacific  coast ;  and,  when  an  appropriation  was  made  to  deter- 
mine the  most  eligible  route  for  that  j-turpose,  the  Secretary  of 
War  was  charged  with  its  application.  We  had  then  but  little 
of  that  minute  and  accurate  knowledge  of  the  interior  of  the 
continent  which  was  requisite  for  a  determination  of  the  pro- 


SECRETARY  OF  WAR  UNDER  PIERCE.  139 

blcm.  Several  different  parties,  were  tlicrefore  organized  to 
examine  the  various  routes  supposed  to  be  practicable  within 
the  northern  and  soutliern  limits  of  the  United  States.  The 
arguments  which  I  had  used  as  a  senator  were  'the  military 
necessity  for  sucli  means  of  transportation  and  the  need  of  safe 
and  rapid  communication  with  the  Pacific  slope,  to  secure  its 
continuance  as  a  part  of  the  Union.' 

"In  the  organization  and  equipment  of  these  2:)arties,  and  in 
the  selection  of  their  officers,  care  Avas  taken  to  provide  for  secur- 
ing full  and  accurate  information  upon  every  jioint  involved 
in  the  determination  of  the  route.  The  only  discrimination 
made  was  in  the  more  prompt  and  thorough  equipment  of  the 
parties  for  the  extreme  northern  line,  and  it  was  only  because 
that  was  supposed  to  be  the  most  difficult^of  execution  of  all 
the  survej's, 

''In  like  manner,  my  advocacy  while  in  the  Senate  of  an 
extension  of  the  capitol,  by  the  construction  of  a  new  Senate 
chamber  and  hall  of  Representatives,  may  have  caused  the 
appropriation  for  that  object  to  be  put  under  my  charge  as 
Secretary  of   tVar. 

"  During  my  administration  of  the  AVar  Department,  mate- 
rial changes  were  made  in  the  models  of  arms.  Iron  gun- 
carriages  were  introduced  and  experiments  were  made  which 
led  to  the  casting  of  heavy  guns  hollow,  instead  of  boring 
them  after  casting.  Inquiries  were  made  with  regard  to  gun- 
powder, which  subsequently  led  to  the  use  of  a  coarser  grain 
for  artillery. 

"  During  the  same  period  the  army  w^as  increased  by  the 
addition  ■  of  two  regiments  of  infantry  and  two  of  cavalrv. 
The  officers  of  these  regiments  were  chosen  partly  by  selection 
from  those  already  in  service  in  the  regular  army  and  partly 
by  appointment  from  civil  life.  In  making  the  selections  from 
the  army,  I  was  continually  indebted  to  the  assistance  of  that 
])ure-minded  and  accurately  informed  officer,  Colonel  Samuel 


140  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Cooper,  the  Adjutant-General,  of  whom  it  may  be  proper  here 
to  say  that,  although  his  life  had  been  spent  in  the  army,  and 
he,  of  course,  had  the  likes  and  dislikes  inseparable  from  men 
Avho  are  brought  into  close  contact  and  occasional  rivalry,  I 
never  found  in  his  official  recommendations  any  indication  of 
partiality  or  prejudice  toward  any  one. 

"AVhen  the  first  list  was  made  out,  to  be  submitted  to  the 
President,  a  difficulty  was  found  to  exist,  which  had  not 
occurred  either  to  Colonel  Cooper  or  myself.  This  was,  that 
the  officers  selected  purely  on  their  military  record  did  not 
constitute  a  roster  conforminoj  to  that  distribution  amonsf  the 
different  States,  which,  for  political  consideralions,  it  was 
thought  desirable  to  observe — that  is  to  say,  the  number  of 
such  officers  of  Southern  birth  was  found  to  be  disproportion- 
ately great.  Under  instructions  from  the  President,  the  list 
was  therefore  revised  and  modified  in  accordance  with  this 
new  element  of  geographical  distribution.  This,  as  I  am 
happy  to  remember,  was  the  only  occasion  in  which  the  cur- 
rent of  my  official  action,  while  Secretary  of  War,  was  dis- 
turbed in  any  way  by  sectional  or  political  considerations. 

"Under  former  administrations  of  the  "War  Office  it  had  not 
been  customary  to  make  removals  or  appointments  upon  politi- 
cal grounds,  except  in  the  case  of  clerkships.  To  this  usage  I 
not  only  adhered,  but  extended  it  to  include  the  clerkships 
also.  The  chief  clerk,  who  had  been  removed  by  my  prede- 
cessor, had  peculiar  qualifications  for  the  place;  and,  although 
known  to  me  only  officially,  he  was  restored  to  the  position. 
It  will  probably  be  conceded  by  all  who  are  well  informed  on 
the  subject  ihat  his  restoration  was  a  benefit  to  the  public  ser- 
vice.* 

"*Soon  after  my  entrance  upon  duty  as  S:crctaryof  War,  Gonsral  Jesup,  the  Quartcr- 
icastcr-Gcncral,  presented  to  me  a  list  of  names  from  which  to  make  selection  of  a  clerk  for 
his  dcpartmcr.t.  Observing  that  he  had  attached  ccr  ain  figures  to  these  names,  1  asked 
whether  t^.e  figures  were  intended  to  indicate  the  relative  qualifications,  or  preference  in 
his  estimation,  of  the  several  applicants;  and,  upon  his  answer  la  the  affirmative,  without 
further  question,  authorized  him  to  appoint '  No.  1 '  of  his  list.    A  day  or  two  afterward,  cer- 


SECRET AR  Y  OF  WAR   UNDER  PIERCE.  141 

"  [The  reader  desirous  of  further  information  relative  to  the 
administration  of  the  War  Department  during  this  period  may 
find  it  in  the  various  official  reports  and  estimates  of  works  o^ 
defense  prosecuted  or  recommended,  arsenals  of  construction 
and  depots  of  arms  maintained  or  suggested,  and  foundries 
employed,  during  the  presidency  of  Mr.  Pierce,  1853-57.] 

"Having  been  again  elected  by  the  Legislature  of  IMissis- 
sippi  as  Senator  to  the  United  States,  I  passed  from  the  Cabi- 
net of  Mr.  Pierce,  on  the  last  day  of  his  term  (March  4,  1857), 
to  take  my  seat  in  the  Senate. 

"The  administration  of  Franklin  Pierce  presents  the  only 
instance  in  our  history  of  the  continuance  of  a  cabinet  for  four 
years  without  a  single  change  in  its  'personnel.  When  it  is 
remembered  that  there  was  much  dissimilarity  if  not  incon- 
gruity of  character  among  the  menbers  of  that  cabinet,  some 
idea  may  be  formed  of  the  power  over  men  possessed  and  exer- 
cised by  Mr.  Pierce.  Chivalrous,  generous,  amiable,  true  to 
his  friends  and  to  his  faith,  frank  and  bold  in  the  declaration 
of  his  opinions,  he  never  deceived  any  one.  And,  if  treachery 
had  ever  come  near  him,  it  would  have  stood  abashed  in  the 
presence  of  his  truth,  his  manliness,  and  his  confiding  simpli- 
city." 

tain  Democratic  members  of  Congress  called  on  me  and  politely  Inquired  whettier  It  was 
true  that  I  had  appointed  a  Whig  to  a  pcaition  in  the  War  OSQce.  '  Certainly  not,  •  I 
answered.  'Wethought  you  were  not  aware  of  it,'  said  they,  and  proceeded  to  inform  me 
that  Mr. ,  thercccntapnointcc  to  the  clerkship  just  mentioned,  was  a  Whig.  After  listen- 
ing patiently  to  this  statement,  I  answered  that  it  was  they  who  were  deceived,  not  1.  1  had 
appointed  a  clerk.  He  had  been  appointed  ne'thcr  asa  Whig  nor  a  Democrat,  but  merely  as 
theCttcst  candidate  for  the  place  in  the  estimation  of  the  chief  of  the  bureau  to  which  it 
belonged.  I  further  gave  them  to  understand  that  the  sime  principle  of  selection  would  be 
followed  in  similar  cases,  s:)  far  as  my  authority  extended.  After  soma  further  discussion  of 
the  question,  the  visitors  withdrew,  dissatisfied  with  the  result  of  the  interview. 

"The  Quartermaster-General,  on  hearing  of  this  conversation,  hxstcnad  to  inform  me  tha.> 
it  was  all  a  mistake— that  the  appointee  to  the  oSQce  hal  been  confounded  with  his  father, 
who  was  a  well-known  Whig,  but  that  he  (the  son)  \va>  a  Democrat.  1  as-;ureJ  the  General 
that  this  was  altogether  immaterial,  aiding  that  it  was  ■  a  very  pretty  qu.irrcl  as  it  stood, 
and  I  had  no  desire  to  effect  a  settlement  of  it  on  any  inferior  issue.  Thenceforward,  how 
ever,  1  was  but  little  troubled  with  any  pressure  for  political  appointments  xn  the  depart 
ment" 


142  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

It  were  well  for  the  efficiency  of  the  War  Department  if  the 
principles  of  administration  laid  down  by  the  greatest  War 
Secretary  tlie  United  States  ever  had  were  now  carried  out,  and 
that  clerks  and  other  appointees  were  selected  with  reference  to 
merit  and  efficiency,  and  not  with  reference  to  partisan  service  or 
capability.  And  if  this  same  principle  had  been  applied  to 
heads  of  the  department  as  well,  we  should  not  have  had  the 
recent  disgraceful  exhibition  of  a  partisan  Secretary  refusing  to 
render  the  customary  honor  to  the  grand  old  man  who  had 
done  the  War  Department  and  the  country  such  signal  service, 
who  had  borne  the  "stars  and  stripes"  on  many  a  victorious 
field,  and  whose  name  will  shine  on  the  page  of  history  long- 
after  that  of  this  small  partisan  shall  have  rotted  into  obliv- 
ion, unless  indeed  it  shall  be  remembered  in  connection  with 
this  petty  display  of  partisan  malignity, 


XL 

AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE. 

As  we  have  seen,  Mississippi  stood  ever  ready  to  honor  h(jr 
iUustrious  son,  and  so,  when  on  the  4th  of  Marcli,  1857,  his 
tenure  of  office  as  Secretar}^  of  War  expired  with  the  adminis- 
tration of  INIr.  Pierce,  he  at  once  re-entered  the  Senate,  to  which 
he  had  been  elected  by  the  legislature  of  his  State. 

On  his  return  home  he  was  received  everywhere  with  the 
most  enthusiastic  demonstrations  of  respect  and  confidence,  and 
during  the  summer  and  autumn  he  made — in  giving  to  his 
constituents  '-'an  account  of  his  stewardship"  and  outlining 
his  future  policy — some  of  the  most  eloquent  and  powerful 
speeches  of  his  life. 

The  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  had  been  the  occa- 
sion of  great  excitement  at  the  North — the  agitation  of  the 
slavery  question  had  been  kept  up  on  platform,  by  the  press, 
and  by  the  pulpit — the  anti-slavery  element,  which  crystalized 
in  the  "Republican"  party,  was  evidently  largely  on  the 
increase.  Mr.  Buchanan  was  elected  with  great  difficulty ;  and 
there  were  wide  differences  and  serious  dissensions  in  the  Dem- 
ocratic party  which  threatened  the  split  which  came  in  ISGO, 
and  resulted  in  the  election  of  a  sectional  President  by  a  purely 
sectional  vote. 

No  statesman  of  his  day  saw  with  clearer  vision  the  dangers 
ahead,  or  tried  more  earnestly  to  avert  them,  than  IMr.  Davis. 
He  urged  on  his  own  people  j)atience,  forbearance,  and  pru- 
dence of  speech  and  act;  wdiile,  on  the  other  hand,  he  ably 
maintained  the  doctrine  of  "States'  Rights,"  and  warned  the 
other  side  that  they  could  not  go  too  far  in  their  aggression 
without  arousing  the  most  determined  resistance. 

[143] 


144  THE  DA  VIS  ME3J0RIAL  VOL  UME. 

He  always  maintained,  on  the  one  hand,  that  Congress  had 
no  legal  right  to  legislate  slavery  cither  into  or  out  of  a  State, 
and  that,  on  the  other  hand,  the  question  of  slavery  or  free  soil 
must  be  determined  bij  the  State  after  it  had  been  properly  and 
legally  organized,  and  not  by  a  few  squatters  sent  into  a  terri- 
tory by  anti-slavery  societies  or  immigrant  aid  organizations. 

The  following  letter,  written  in  1S52,  to  United  States  Sena- 
tor James  Alfred  Pearce,  of  Maryland,  and  recently  j)ublished 
for  the  first  time,  very  clearly  expresses  his  views : 

"  Palmyra,  Miss.,  August  22,  1852. 

"  My  Dear  Sir  :  Among  the  most  pleasing  reminiscences  of 
my  connection  with  the  Senate  I  place  my  association  with  3'ou, 
and  first  among  the  consolations  for  the  train  of  events  which 
led  to  my  separation  from  that  body  I  number  3'our  very  kind 
letter.  If  I  know  myself  you  dome  justice  in  supposing  that 
my  efforts  in  the  session  of  1850  were  directed  to  the  main- 
tenance of  our  constitutional  rights  as  members  of  the  Union, 
and  that  I  did  not  sympathize  with  those  who  desired  a  disso^ 
lution  of  the  Union.  After  my  return  to  Mississippi  in  1851 
I  took  ground  against  the  policy  of  secession  and  drew  the 
resolution  adopted  by  the  Democratic  States'  Rights  Conven- 
tion of  June,  1851;  which  declared  that  secession  was  the  last 
alternative,  the  final  remedy,  and  should  not  be  resorted  to 
under  existing  circumstances. 

"I  thought  the  State  should  solemnly  set  the  seal  of  its  dis- 
approbation of  some  of  the  measures  of  the  compromise. 
When  a  member  of  th  United  States  Senate  I  opposed  them 
because  I  thought  them  wrong  and  dangerous  in  tendency, 
and  also  because  the  people  in  every  town, and  the  legislature,  by 
resolutions  of  instructions,  required  me  to  oppose  them.  But 
indiscreet  men  went  too  fast  and  too  far.  Tlie  public  became 
alarmed,  and  the  reaction  corresponded  v.'ith  the  action, 
extremes  in  both  instances. 

'  The  most  curious  and  suggestive  feature  in  the  case  is  the 
fact  that  those  who  were  originally  foreniust  in  the  movement 
were  the  beneficiaries  of  the  reaction.  Having  by  their 
extreme  course  created  apprehension,  they  cried  most  lustily 
that  the  Union  was  in  danger  and  saved  by  their  exertions. 
I  am,  as  ever,  truly  your  friend, 

"Jetfekson  Davis." 


10 


JEFFERSON   DAVIS,   JR. 
Died  of  thk  Yellow  Fevkk  at  Memphis,  Tenn. 


146  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

During  the  first  session,  after  his  return  to  the  Senate,  Mr. 
Davis's  health  was  so  precarious  that  he  might  have  excused 
himself  altogether  from  attendance,  but  he  was  often  found, 
even  against  the  advice  of  his  physicians,  not  only  occupying 
his  seat,  but  ably  battling  for  the  cause  of  his  country. 

He  found  himself  constantly  pitted  against  not  only  the 
extreme  Republicans,  but  as  well  against  the  advocates  of 
the  "squatter  sovereignty  "  theory,  of  which  Hon,  Stephen  A. 
Douglas,  of  Illinois,  was  the  ablest  and  most  aggressive 
champion. 

Mr.  Alfriend,  in  his  "  Life  of  Davis,"  gives  the  following 
interesting  contrast- between  these  two  great  representatives  of 
opposing  theories — "the  Little  Giant''  of  the  Northwest  and 
the  chivalric  leader  of  Southern  Democracy: 

"  Stephen  A.  Douglas  was  now  in  the  meridian  of  life  and 
the  full  maturity  of  his  unquestionably  vigorous  intellectual 
powers.  For  twenty-five  years  he  had  been  prominent  in  the 
arena  of  politics,  and  as  a  member  of  Congress  his  course  had 
been  so  eminently  politic  and  judicious  as  to  make  him  a 
favorite  with  the  Democracy,  both  North  and  South.  To  an 
unexampled  degree  his  public  life  illustrated  the  combination 
of  those  characteristics  of  the  demagogue :  a  fertile  ingenuity, 
facile  accommodation  to  circumstances,  and  wonderful  gifts  of 
the  ad  captandum  species  of  oratory,  so  captivating  to  the  popu- 
lace, which  in  America  peculiarly  constitute  the  attributes  of 
the  '  rising  man.'  Douglas  was  not  wanting  in  noble  and 
attractive  qualities  of  manhood.  His  courage  was  undoubted, 
his  generosity  was  princely  in  its  munificence  to  his  personal 
friends,  and  he  frequently  manifested  a  lafty  magnanimity.  In 
his  early  youth,  deprived  of  the  advantages  of  fortune  and 
position,  the  discipline  of  his  career  was  not  propitious  to  the 
development  of  the  higher  qualities  of  statesmanship — with 
which,  indeed,  he  was  scantily  endowed  by  nature.  It  is  as 
the   accomplished  politician,  subtle,  ready,  fearless,  and  inde- 


AGAIN  JN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  147 

fatigable,  that  ho  must  be  remembered.  In  this  latter  charac- 
ter he  was  unrivaled. 

"  Not  less  than  Davis  was  Douglas  a  representative  man,  yet 
no  two  men  were  more  essentially  dissimilar,  and  no  two  lives 
ever  actuated  by  aspirations  and  instincts  more  unlike.  Doug- 
las was  the  representative  of  expediency — Davis  the  exponent 
of  principles.  In  his  party  associations  Douglas  would  toler- 
ate the  largest  latitude  of  individual  opinion,  while  Davis  was 
always  for  a  policy  clearly  defined  and  unmistakable ;  and 
upon  a  matter  of  vital  principle,  like  Percy,  would  reluctantly 
surrender  even  the  'ninth  part  of  a  hai):'.'  To  maintain  the 
united  action  of  the  Democratic  party  on  election  day,  to  de- 
feat its  opponents,  to  secure  the  rewards  of  success  Douglas 
would  allow  a  thousand  different  constructions  of  the  party 
creed  by  as  many  factions.  Davis,  on  the  other  hand,  would, 
and  eventually  did,  approve  the  dissolution  of  the  party,  when 
it  refused  an  open,  manly  enunciation  of  its  faith.  For  mera 
party  success  Douglas  cared  every  thing,  and  Davis  nothing, 
save  as  it  insured  the  triumph  of  constitutional  principles. 
Both  loved  the  Union  and  sought  its  perpetuity,  but  by  differ- 
ent methods ;  Douglas  by  never-ending  compromises  of  a  quar- 
rel, which  he  should  have  known  that  the  North  would  never 
permit  to  be  amicabl}''  settled;  by  staving  off  and  ignoring 
issues  which  were  to  be  solved  only  by  being  squarely  met. 
Davis,  too,  was  not  unwilling  to  compromise,  but  ho  wearied 
of  perpetual  concession  by  the  South,  in  the  meanwhile  the 
North  continuing  its  hostility,  both  open  and  insidious,  and 
urged  a  settlement  of  all  differences  upon  a  basis  of  simple  and 
exact  justice  to  both  sections. 

**  Douglas  was  pre-eminently  the  representative  politician  of 
his  section,  and  throughout  his  career  was  a  favorite  with  that 
boastful,  bloated,  and  mongrel  clement,  Avhich  is  violently 
called  the  'American  people,'  and  which  is  the  ruling  element 
ia  elections  in  the  Northern  cities.     In  character  and  conduct 


148  TRE  DAVTS  MEM0F7AZ  VOLUME. 

he  embodied  many  of  its  materialistic  and  socialistic  ideas,  its 
false  conception  of  liberty,  its  pernicious  dogmas  of  equality, 
and  not  a  little  of  its  rowdyism. 

"  Davis  was  the  champion  of  the  South,  her  civilization, 
rights,  honor,  and  dignity.  He  was  the  fitting  and  adequate 
exponent  of  a  civilization  which  rested  upon  an  intellectual 
and  sesthetical  -  development,  upon  ,lofty'  and  generous  senti- 
ments of  manhood,  a  dignified  conversatism,  and  the  proud 
associations  of  ancestral  distinction  in  the  history  of  the  Union. 
Always  the  senator  in  the  sense  of  the  ideal  of  dignity  and 
courtesy  which  is  suggested  by  that  title,  he  was  also  the  gen- 
tleman upon  all  occasions ;  never  condescending  to  flatter  or 
sootlic  the  mob,  or  to  court  popular  favor,  he  lost  none  of  that 
polished  and  distinguished  manner,  in  the  presence  of  a  '  fierce 
Democracie,'  which  made  him  the  ornament  of  the  highest 
school  of  oratory  and  statesmanship  of  his  country. 

"  The  ambition  of  Douglas  was  unbounded.  The  recognized 
leader,  for  several  years,  of  the  Northern  Democracy,  his  man}' 
fine  personal  qualities  and  courageous  resistance  to  the  ultra 
abolitionists,  secured  for  him  a  considerable  number  of  sup- 
porters in  the  southern  wing  of  that  party.  The  presidency 
was  the  goal  of  his  ambition,  and  for  twenty  years  his  course 
had  been  sedulously  adjusted  to  the  attainment  of  that  most 
coveted  of  prizes  to  the  American  politician.  On  repeated 
occasions  he  had  been  flattered  by  a  highly  complimentary 
vote  in  the  nominating  conventions  of  the  Democracy.  Hith- 
erto he  had  been  compelled  to  yield  his  pretensions  in  favor  of 
older  members  of  his  party  or  upon  considerations  of  tempo- 
rary availability.  It  was  evident,  however,  that  in  order  to  be 
President,  he  must  secure  the  nomination  in  1860.  The  con- 
tinued ascendancy  of  the  Democracy  was  no  longer,  as  here- 
tofore, a  foregone  conclusion,  and,  besides,  there  were  others 
equally  aspiring  and  available.  His  presidential  aspirations 
appeared,  indeed,  to  be  without  hope  or  resource,  save  through 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SESA  TE. 


149 


the  agency  of  some  adroit  coup  d\iat,  by  which  the  trucuk'nt 
and  dominant  free-soil  sentiment  of  the  North,  wliicli  he  had 
60  much  affronted  by  his  bid  for  Southern  support  in  the 
introduction  of  the  Kansas-Nebraska  bill,  could  be  conciliated. 
In  Illinois,  his  own  State,  the  abolition  strength  was  alarm- 
ingly on  the  increase,  and  to  secure  his  return  to  the  Senate 
at  the  election  to  be  held  in  1858,  an  object  of  prime  impor- 
tance in  the  i3romotion  of  his  more  ambitious  pretensions,  he 
did  not  scruple  to  assume  a  position,  falsifying  his  previous 
record,  wantonly  insulting  and  defiant  to  his  Southern  asso- 
ciates, and  in  bold  antagonism  to  a  Democratic  administration. 
The  sequel  of  this  rash  and  ill-judged  course  was  the  over- 
throw of  his  own  political  fortunes,  the  disintegration  of  his 
party,  and  the  attempted  dissolution  of  the  Union. 

"The  earliest  recommendations  of  J\lr.  Buchanan,  respect- 
ing the  Kansas  controversy,  which,  several  months  since,  had 
developed  in  that  territory  into  a  species  of  predatory  warfare, 
marked  by  deeds  of  violence  and  atrocit}^  between  the  aboli- 
tion and  pro-slavery  parties,  were  signalized  by  a  coalition  of 
the  followers  of  Douglas  with  the  abolitionists  and  other  oppo- 
nents of  the  administration.  The  speedy  pacification  of  the 
disorders  in  Kansas,  by  the  prompt  admission  of  that  territory, 
was  the  condition  essential  to  the  success  of  Mr.  Buchanan's 
entire  policy.  He  accordingly  recommended  the  admission  of 
Kansas  into  the  Union,  with  the  'Lecompton'  constitution, 
which  had  been  adopted  in  September,  1857,  by  the  decisive 
vote  of  six  thousand  two  hundred  and  twenty-six  in  favor  of 
that  constitution,  with  slavery,  and  five  hundred  and  nine  for 
it,  without  slavery.  A  rival  instrument,  adopted  by  an  elec- 
tion notoriously  held  exclusively  under  the  control  of  aboli- 
tionists, prohibiting  slavery,  was  likewise  presented. 

"For  months  the  controversy  was  waged  in  Congress  between 
the  friends  of  the  administration  and  its  enemies,  and  finally 
resulted  in  a  practical  triumph  of  the  free-soil  principle.     The 


150  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

anti-Lecompton  coalition  of  Douglas  and  the  abolitionists, 
aided  by  the  defection  of  a  few  Southern  members,  success- 
fully embarrassed  the  policy  of  the  administration  by  defeat- 
ing its  recommendations,  and  eventually  carried  a  measure 
acceptable  to  Northern  sentiments  and  interests. 

"Mr.  Douglas  thus  triumphed  over  a  Democratic  adminis- 
tration, at  the  same  time  giving  a  shock  to  the  unity  of  the 
Democratic  part}',  from  which  it  has  never  recovered,  and 
effectually  neutralized  its  power  as  a  breakwater  of  the  Union 
against  the  waves  of  sectional  dispute.  The  alienation  between 
himself  and  his  former  associates  was  destined  never  to  be 
adjusted,  as  indeed  it  never  should  have  been,  in  consideration 
of  his  inexcusable  recreancy  to  the  immemorial  faith  of  his 
party.  Mr.  Douglas  simply  abandoned  the  South,  at  the  very 
first  moment  when  his  aid  was  seriously  demanded.  Nay, 
more;  he  carried  with  him  a  quiver  of  Parthian  arrows,  which 
he  discharged  into  her  bosom  at  a  most  critical  moment  in  her 
unequal  contest. 

"  It  is  not  to  be  denied  that  Mr.  Douglas's  new  interpretation 
of  the  Kansas-Nebraska  act  was  urged  by  himself  and  his 
advocates  as  having  a  merit  not  to  be  overlooked  by  the  North, 
in  its  suggestion  of  a  method  of  restricting  slavery,  presenting 
superior  advantages.  '  Squatter  sovereignty, '  as  advocated  by 
Mr.  Douglas,  proposing  the  decision  of  the  slavery  question  by 
the  people  of  the  territories,  while  yei  unprepared  to  ask 
admission  as  States,  was  far  more  effectual  in  its  plans  against 
slavery,  and  only  less  prompt  and  open,  than  the  designs  of 
abolitionists.  It  would  enable  ^iie  '  Emigrant  Aid  Societies, ' 
and  imported  janizaries  of  abolition,  to  exclude  the  institutions 
of  the  South  from  the  territories,  the  joint  possessions  of  the 
two  sections,  acquired  by  an  enormously  disproportionate  sac- 
rifice on  the  part  of  the  South,  with  a  certainty  not  to  be 
realized,  for  years  to  come,  perhaps,  from  the  abolition  policy 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STA  TES  SENA  TE.  151 

of  congressional  prohibition.*  According  to  Mr.  Douglas's 
theory,  the  existence  of  slavery  in  all  the  territories  was  to 
depend  upon  the  verdict  of  a  few  hundred  settlers  or  squat- 
ters '  upon  the  publiclands.  It  practically  conceded  to  North- 
ern interests  and  ideas  every  State  to  be  hereafter  admitted, 
and  under  the  operation  of  such  a  policy  it  was  not  difficult  to 
anticipate  the  fate  of  slavery,  at  last  even  in  the  States. 

"  From  the  inception  of  this  controversy  until  its  close,  Mr. 
Davis  was  fully  committed  to  the  policy  of  Mr.  Buchanan,  and 
his  position  was  in  perfect  harmony  with  that  of  all  the  lead- 
ing  statesmen  of  the  South.  Lass  prominent,  perhaps,  in 
debate,  from  his  constant  ill-health  during  the  first  session, 
than  at  any  other  period  of  his  public  life,  he  was  still  zealous 
and  influential"  .  .        ' .  . 

"  Among  his  numerous  contests  with  the  distinguished  expo- 
nents of  the  sentiment  in  opposition  to  the  Souin,  none  are 
more  memorable  than  his  collisions  with  Douglas. 

"  Of  these  the  most  striking  occurred  on  the  23d  of  Febru- 
ary, 1859,  and  on  the  16th  and  17th  of  May,  1860.  To  have 
matched  Douglas  with  an  ordinary  contestant,  must  always 
have  resulted  in  disaster;  it  would  have  been  to  renew  the 
contest  of  Athelstane  against  Ivanhoe.  Douglas  was  accus- 
tomed to  testify,  cheerfully,  to  the  power  of  Davis,  as  evinced 
in  their  senatorial  struggles  ;  and  it  is  very  certain  that  at  no 
other  hands  did  he  fare  so  badly,  unless  an  exception  be  made 
in  favor  of  the  remarkable  speech  of  Senator  Benjamin,  of 
Louisiana.  The  latter  was  an  adept  in  the  strategy  of  debate, 
a  parliamentary  Suchet, 

"  The  23d  of  February,  1859,  was  the  occasion  of  a  pro- 
tracted battle  between  Davis  and  Douglas,  Itesting  from  mid- 
day until  nearly  night.  This  speech  of  Mr.  Davis  is,  in  many 
respects,  inferior  to  his  higher  oratorical  efforts,  realizing  less 
of  the  forms  of  oratory  which  he  usually  illustrated  so  happily, 

"  *»jovemor  Wise,  of  Virginia,  characterized  '  squatter  soyerelgnty  '  as  a  '  short  cut  to  all 
the  ends  of  Black  Republicanism." 


152  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  TIME. 

and  is  wanting  somewhat  in  that  symmetry,  harmony  and 
comeliness  in  all  its  features,  with  which  his  senatorial  efforts 
are  generally  wrought  to  the  perfection,  of  expression.  The 
circumstances  under  which  it  was  delivered,  however,  fully 
meet  this  criticism,  and  show  a  most  remarkable  readiness  for 
the  instantaneous  and  hurried  grapple  of  debate,  and  this  lat- 
ter quality  was  the  strong  point  of  Douglas's  oratory.  The 
latter  had  replied  at  great  length,  and  with  evident  prepara- 
tion, to  a  speech  made  by  Mr.  Davis's  colleague  (Mr.  Brown), 
who  was  not  present  during  Douglas's  rejoinder.  AVithout 
hesitation  I\Ir.  Davis  assumed  the  place  of  his  absent  colleague, 
and  the  result  was  a  running  debate,  lasting  several  hours,  and 
exhibiting  on  both  sides  all  the  vivacious  readiness  of  a  gladia- 
torial combat. 

"  In  their  ordinary  and  characteristic  speeches  there  Avas  an 
antithesis,  no  less  marked  than  in  their  characters  as  men. 
Douglas  was  peculiarly  American  in  his  style  of  speaking.  He 
dealt  largely  in  the  argumentum  ad  hominem;  was  very  adroit 
in  pointing  out  immaterial  inconsistencies  in  his  antagonists; 
he  rarely  discussed  g^eneral  principles ;  always  avoided  ques- 
tions of  abstract  political  science,  and  struggled  to  force  the 
entire  question  into  juxtaposition  with  the  practical  considera- 
tions of  the  immediate  present. 

"  In  nearly  all  of  Davis's  speeches  is  recognized  the  perva- 
sion of  intellect,  which  is  preserved  even  in  his  most  impas- 
sioned passages.  He  goes  to  the  very  '  foundations  of  jurispru- 
dence,' illustrates  by  historical  example,  and  throws  upon  his 
subject  the  full  radiance  of  that  noble  light  which  is  shed  by 
diligent  inquiry  into  the  abstract  truths  of  political  and  moral 
science.  Strength,  animation,  energy  without  vehemence, 
classical  elegance,  and  a  luminous  simj^licity,  are  features  in 
Mr.  Davis's  oratory  which  rendered  him  one  of  the  most  fin- 
ished, logical,  and  effective  of  contemporary  parliamentary 
speakers." 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  Io3 

In  the  Slimmer  of  1858,  Mr.  Davis,  in  quest  of  health,  visited 
a  number  of  points  at  the  North — sojourning  for  some  time  at 
Portland,  Maine — and  made  several  speeches  which  so  well 
expressed  his  views  that  we  quote  freely  from  two  of  them. 

The  Eastern  Argus,  of  Portland,  JMaine,  gave  the  following 
report  of  his  reception  and  speech. in  that  city: 

"  We  are  gratified  in  being  able  to  offer  our  readers  a  faith- 
ful and  quite  full  report  of  the  speech  of  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis, 
of  Mississippi,  on  the  occasion  of  the  serenade  given  him  by 
the  citizens  of  Portland,  without  distinction  of  party,  on  Friday 
evening  last.  It  will  be  read  with  interest  and  pleasure,  and 
we  cannot  doubt  that  every  sentiment  uttered  by  the  distin- 
guished Mississippian  will  find  a .  hearty  response  and  ap- 
proval from  the  citizens  of  Maine.  The  occasion  was  indeed  a 
pleasing,  a  hopeful  one.  It  was  in  every  respect  the  expres- 
sion of  generous  sentiments,  of  kindness,  hospitality,  friendly 
regard,  and  the  brotherhood  of  American  citizenship.  Promi- 
nent men  of  all  parties  were  present,  and  the  expression, 
without  exception,  so  far  as  W'e  have  heard,  has  been  that  of 
unmingled  gratification ;  and  the  scene  was  equally  pleasant 
to  look  upon.  The  beautiful  mansion  of  Pensalleer  Cram, 
Esq.,  directly  opposite  to  Madame  Blanchard's,  was  illuminated, 
and  the  light  thrown  from  the  windows  of  the  two  houses 
revealed  to  view  the  large  and  perfectly  orderly  assemblage 
with  which  Park  and  Danforth  streets  were  crowded.  AVe 
regret  that  our  readers  can  get  no  idea  of  the  musical  voice  and 
inspiring  eloquence  of  the  speaker  from  a  report  of  his  remarks, 
but  it  is  the  best  we  can  do  for  them.  After  the  music  had 
ceased,  Mr.  Davis  appeared  upon  the  steps,  and  as  soon  as  the 
prolonged  applause  with  which  he  was  greeted  had  subsided, 
he  spoke  in  substance  as  follows : 

^^  ^  Fellow-citizens :  Accept  my  sincere  thanks  for  this  mani- 
festation of  your  kindness.     Vanity  does  not  lead  me  so  far  to 


154  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

misconceive  your  purpose  as  to  appropriate  the  demonstration 
to  myself;  but  it  is  not  the  less  gratifying  to  me  to  be  made 
the  medium  tlirough  which  Maine  tenders  an  expression  of 
regard  to  her  sister,  Mississippi.  It  is,  moreover,  with  feelings 
of  profound  gratification  tliat  I  witness  tliis  indication  of  that 
national  sentiment  and  fraternity  v/liich  made  us,  and  which 
alone  can  keep  us,  one  people.  At  a  period  but  as  yesterday, 
when  compared  with  the  life  of  nations,  these  States  were  sep- 
arate, and,  in  some  respects,  opposing  colonies,  their  only  rela- 
tion to  each  other  was  that  of  a  common  allegiance  to  the 
Government  of  Great  Britain.  So  separate,  indeed  almost 
hostile,  was  their  attitude,  that  when  General  Stark,  of  Benning- 
ton memory,  was  captured  by  savages  on  the  headwaters  of  the 
Kennebec,  he  was  subsequently  taken  by  them  to  Albany, 
where  they  went  to  sell  furs,  and  again  led  away  a  captive, 
without  interference  on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  that 
neighboring  colony  to  demand  or  obtain  his  release.  United 
as  we  now  are,  were  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  as  an  act  of 
hostility  to  our  country,  imprisoned  or  slain  in  any  quarter  of 
the  world,  whether  on  land  or  sea,  the  people  of  each  and  every 
State  of  the  Union,  with  one  heart  and  with  one  voice  would 
deirand  redress,  and  woe  be  to  him  against  whom  a  brother's 
blood  cried  to  us  from  the  ground.  Such  is  the  fruit  of  the  wis- 
dom and  the  justice  with  which  our  fathers  bound  contending 
colonies  into  confederation,  and  blended  different  habits  and 
rival  interests  into  a  harmonious  whole,  so  that,  shoulder  to 
shoulder,  they  entered  on  the  trial  of  the  revolution,  and  step 
with  step  trod  its  thorny  paths  until  they  reached  the  height 
of  national  independence,  and  founded  the  constitutional  rep- 
resentative liberty  which  is  cur  birthright. 

" '  When  the  mother  country  entered  upon  her  career  of 
oppression,  in  disregard  of  chartered  and  constitutional  rights, 
our  forefathers  did  not  stop  to  measure  the  exact  weight  of  the 
burden,  or  to  ask  whether  the  pressure  bore  most  upon  this 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  ST  A  7  ES  SENA  TE.  155 

colony  or  upon  that,  but  saw  in  it  the  infraction  of  a  great 
principle,  the  denial  of  a  common  right,  in  defense  of  which 
they  made  common  cause — Massachusetts,  Virginia, .and  South 
Carolina  vicing  with  each  other  as  to  who  should  bo  foremost 
in  the  struggle,  where  the  penalty  of  failnrc  would  be  a  dis- 
honorable grave.  Tempered  by  the  trials  and  sacrifices  of  the 
Revolution,  dignified  by  its  noble  purposes,  elevated  by  its 
brilliant  triumphs,  endeared  to  each  other  by  its  glorious  mem- 
ories, they  abandoned  the  confederacy,  not  to  fly  apart  when 
the  outward  pressure  of  hostile  fleets  and  armies  were  removed, 
but  to  draw  closer  their  embrace  in  the  formation  of  a  more 
perfect  Union. 

"'By  such  men,  thus  trained -and  ennobled,  our  Constitution 
was  framed.  It  stands  a  monument  of  principle,  of  forecast, 
and,  above  all,  of  that  liberality  which  made  each  willing  to 
sacrifice  local  interest,  individual  predjudice,  or  temporary 
good  to  the  general  welfare  and  the  perpetuity  of  the  republi- 
can institutions  which  they  had  passed  through  fire  and  blood 
to  secure.  The  grants  were  as  broad  as  were  necessary  for  the 
functions  of  the  general  agent,  and  the  mutual  concessions 
were  twice  blessed,  blessing  him  who  gave  and  him  who 
received.  "Whatever  was  necessary  for  domestic  government — 
requisite  in  the  social  organization  of  each  community — was 
retained  by  the  States  and  the  people  thereof;  and  these  it  was 
made  the  duty  of  all  to  defend  and  maintain.  Such,  in  very 
general  terms,  is  the  rich  political  legacy  of  our  fathers 
bequeathed  to  us.  Shall  we  preserve  and  transmit  it  to  pos- 
terity? Yes,  yes,  the  heart  responds;  and  the  judgment 
answers,  the  task  is  easily  performed.  It  but  requires  that 
each  should  attend  to  that  which  most  concerns  him,  and  on 
which  alone  he  has  rightful  power  to  decide  and  to  act;  that 
each  should  adhere  to  the  terms  of  a  written  compact,  and  that 
all  should  co-operate  for  that  which  interest,  duty,  and  honor 
demand. 


15«  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

" '  For  the  general  affairs  of  our  country,  both  foreign  and 
domestic,  we  have  a  national  executive  and  a  national  legisla- 
ture. Representatives  and  Senators  are  chosen  by  districts 
and  by  States,  but  their  acts  affect  the  whole  country,  and 
their  obligations  are  to  the  whole  people.  He  who,  holding 
either  seat,  would  confine  his  investigations  to  the  mere  inte- 
rests of  his  immediate  constituents,  would  be  derelict  to  his 
plain  duty;  and  he  who  would  legislate  in  hostility  to  any 
section,  would  be  morally  unfit  for  the  station,  and  surely  an 
unsafe  depository,  if  not  a  treacherous  guardian,  of  the  inheri- 
tance with  which  we  are  blessed.  No  one  more  than  myself 
recognizes  the  binding  force  of  the  allegiance  which  the  citizen 
owes  to  the  State  of  his  citizenship  but  that  State  being 
party  to  our  compact,  a  member  of  the  Union,  fealty  to  the 
Federal  constitution  is  not  in  opposition  to,  but  flows  from  the 
allegiance  due  to  one  of  the  United  States.  Washington  was 
not  less  a  Virginian  when  lie  commanded  at  Boston,  nor  did 
Gates  or  Green  weaken  the  bonds  which  bound  them  to  their 
several  States  by  their  campaigns  in  the  South.  In  propor- 
tion as  a  citizen  loves  his  own  State,  will  he  strive  to  honor  by 
preserving  her  name  and  her  fame  free  from  the  tarnish  of 
having  failed  to  observe  her  obligations  and  to  fulfill  her 
duties  to  her  sister  States.  Each  page  of  our  history  is  illus- 
trated by  the  names  and  deeds  of  those  who  have  well  under-. 
stood  and  discharged  the  obligation.  Have  we  so  degene- 
rated that  we  can  no  longer  emulate  their  virtues?  Have 
the  purposes  for  whicli  our  Union  was  formed  lost  theii 
value?  Has  patriotism  ceased  to  be  a  virtue,  and  is  narrow 
sectionalism  no  longer  to  be  counted  a  crime?  Shall  the 
North  not  rejoice  that  the  progress  of  agriculture  in  the  South 
has  given  to  her  great  staple  the  controlling  influence  of  the 
commerce  of  the  world,  and  put  manufacturing  nations  under 
bond  to  keep  the  peace  with  the  United  States?  Shall  the 
South  not  exult  in  the  fact  that  the  industry  and  persevering 


AGAIN  IN  TUE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  loT 

intelligencG  of  the  North  lias  placed  her  mechanical  skill  in 
the  front  ranks  of  the  civilized  world — that  our  mother  country, 
wliose  haughty  minister,  some  eighty  odd  years  ago,  declared 
that  not  a  hob-nail  should  be  made  in  the  colonies,  which  are 
now  the  United  States,  was  brought,  some  four  years  ago,  to . 
recognize  our  pre-eminence  by  sending  a  commission  to  exam- 
ine our  workshops  and  our  machinery,  to  perfect  their  own 
manufacture  of  the  arms  requisite  for  their  defense?  Do  not 
our  whole  people,  interior  and  seaboard.  North,  South,  East 
and  "West,  alike  feel  proud  of  the  hardihood,  enterprise,  the 
skill  and  the  courage  of  the  Yankee  sailor,  who  has  borne  our 
flag  far  as  the  ocean  bears  its  foam,  and  caused  the  name  and 
character  of  the  United  States  to  be  known  and  respected 
wherever  there  is  wealth  enough  to  woo  commerce  and  intelli- 
gence to  honor  merit?  So  long  as  we  preserve  and  ap])reciate 
the  achievements  of  Jefferson  and  Adams,  of  Fianklin  and 
]\Iadison,  of  Hamilton,  of  Hancock,  and  of  Rutledge,  men  who 
labored  for  the  whole  country,  and  lived  for  mankind,  we  can 
not  sink  to  the  petty  strife  which  would  sap  the  foundations 
and  destroy  the  political  fabric  our  fathers  erected  and 
bequeathed  as  an  inheritance  to  our  posterity  forever. 

"'Since  the  formation  of  the  constitution  a  vast  extension 
of  territory,  and  the  varied  relations  arising  therefrom,  have 
presented  ])roblems  which  could  not  have  been  foreseen.  It  is 
just  cause  for  admiration,  even  wonder,  that  the  provisions  of 
the  fundamental  law  should  have  been  so  fully  adequate  to  all 
the  wants  of  government,  new  in  its  organization,  and  new  in 
many  of  the  principles  on  which  it  was  founded.  Whatever 
fears  may  have  once  existed  as  to  the  consequences  of  terri- 
torial expansion  must  give  way  before  the  evidence  Avhich  the 
past  affords.  The  general  government,  strictly  confined  to 
its  delegated  functions,  and  the  State  left  in  the  undisturbed 
exercise  of  all  else,  we  have  a  theory  and  practice  which  fits 
our  government  for  immeasurable  domain,  and  might,  under 
a  millenium  of  nations,  embrace  mankind. 


158  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

"  'From  the  slope  of  tlie  Atlantic  our  poi:)ulation,  with  cease- 
less tide  has  poured  into  the  wide  and  fertile  valley  of  the 
Mississippi,  with  eddying  whirl  has  passed  to  the  coast  of  the 
Pacific;  from  the  West  and  the  East  the  tides  are  rushing 
toward  each  other,  and  the  mind  is  carried  to  the  day  when 
all  the  cultivable  land  will  be  inhabited,  and  the  American 
people  will  sigh  for  more  wildernesses  to  conquer.  But  there 
is  here  a  physico-political  problem  presented  for  our  solution. 
Were  it  purely  physical  your  past  triumphs  would  leave  but 
little  doubt  of  your  capacity  to  solve  it.  A  community  which, 
when  less  than  twenty  thousand,  conceived  the  grand  project 
of  crossing  the  White  Mountains,  and  unaided,  save  by  the 
stimulus  which  jeers  and  prophecies  o-f  failure  gave,  success- 
fully executed  the  Herculean  work,  might  well  be  impatient  if 
it  were  suggested  that  a  physical  prol)lem  was  before  us  too 
difficult  for  mastery.  The  history  of  man  teaches  that  high 
mountains  and  wide  deserts  have  resisted  the  permanent  exten- 
sion of  empire,  and  have  formed  the  immutable  boundaries 
of  States.  From  time  to  time,  under  some  able  leader,  have 
the  hordes  of  the  upper  plains  of  Asia  swept  over  the  adjacent 
country,  and  rolled  their  conquering  columns  over  Southern 
Europe.  Yet,  after  a  lapse  of  a  few  generations,  the  physical 
law,  to  which  I  have  referred,  has  asserted  its  supremacy,  and 
the  boundaries  of  those  States  differ  little  now  from  those  which 
were  obtained  three  thousand  3'ears  ago. 

"'Rome  flew  her  conquering  eagles  over  the  then  known 
world,  and  has  now  subsided  into  the  little  territory  on  whicli 
the  great  city  was  originally  built.  The  Alps  and  the  Pyra- 
nees  have  been  unable  to  restrain  imperial  France;  but  her 
expansion  was  a  leverish  action,  her  advance  and  her  retreat 
were  tracked  with  blood,  and  those  mountain  ridges  are  the 
reestablished  limits  of  her  empire.  Shall  the  Pocky  Moun- 
tains prove  a  dividing  barrier  to  us  ?  Were  ours  a  central 
consolidated    government,  instead    of   a   Union  of   sovereign 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  159 

States,  our  fate  might  be  learned  from  the  history  of  other 
nations.  Thanks  to  the  wisdom  and  independent  spirit  of  our 
forefathers,  tliis  is  not  the  case.  Each  State  having  sole  charge 
of  its  local  interests  and  domestic'  affairs,  the  problem,  which 
to  others  has  been  insoluble,  to  us  is  made  easy.  Rapid,  safe, 
and  easy  communication  between  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific 
will  give  co-intelligence,  unity  of  interest,  and  cooperation 
among  all  parts  of  our  continent-wade  Republic.  The  net- 
work of  railroads  which  bind  the  North  and  the  South,  the 
slope  of  the  Atlantic  and  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  together 
testify  that  our  people  have  the  power  to  perform,  in  that  re- 
gard, whatever  it  is  their  will  to' do. 

"  'We  require  a  railroad  to  the  States  of  tlie  Pacific  for  pres- 
ent uses;  the  time  no  doubt  will  come  when  we  shall  have 
need  of  two  or  three,  it  may  be  more.  Because  of  the  desert 
character  of  the  interior  country  the  work  will  be  difficult  and 
expensive  It  wall  require  the  efforts  of  a  united  people.  The 
bickerings  of  little  politicians,  the  jealousies  of  sections  must 
give  way  to  dignity  of  purpose  and  zeal  for  the  common  good. 
If  the  object  be  obstructed  by  contention  and  division  as  to 
whether  the  route  shall  be  Northern,  Southern,  or  Central,  the 
handwriting  is  on  the  wall,  and  it  requires  little  skill  to  see 
that  failure  is  the  interpretation  of  the  inscription.  You  are 
practical  people,  and  may  ask.  How  is  that  contest  to  be 
avoided?  By  taking  the  question  out  of  the  hands  of  poli- 
ticians altogether.  Let  the  Government  give  such  aid  as  it 
is  proper  for  it  to  render  to  the  company  which  shall  propose 
the  most  feasible  plan;  then  leave  to  capitalists  with  judgment, 
sharpened  by  interest,  the  selection  of  the  route,  and  the  diffi- 
culties will  diminish,  as  did  those  wdiich  3^ou  overcame  wlien 
you  connected  your  harbor  with  the  Canadian  provinces. 

"'It  would  be  to  trespass  on  your  kindness  and  to  violate  the 
proprieties  of  the  occasion  were  I  to  detain  the  vast  concourse 
which  stands  before  me  by  entering  on  the  discussion  of  con- 


160  TBE  DA  Vm  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

trovertecl  topics,  or  by  further  indulging  in  the  expression  ol 
such  reflections  as  circumstances  suggest.  I  came  to  your  city 
in  quest  of  health  and  repose.  From  the  moment  I  entered  it 
you  have  showered  upon  me  kindness  and  hospitality.  Though 
my  experience  has  taught  me  to  anticipate  good  rather  than 
evil  from  my  fellow-man,  it  had  not  prepared  me  to  expect 
such  unremitting  attention  as  has  here  been  bestowed.  I 
have  been  jocularly  asked  in  relation  to]  my  coming  here, 
whether  I  had  secured  a  guarantee  for  my  safety,  and  lo!  I 
have  found  it.  I  stand  in  the  midst  of  thousands  of  my  fel- 
low-citizens. But,  my  friends,  I  came  neither  distrusting' nor 
apprehensive,  of  which  you  have  proof  in  the  fact  that  I 
brought  with  me  the  objects  of  tenderest  affection  and  solici- 
tude, my  W'ife  and  children;  they  have  shared  with  me  your 
hospitality,  and  will  alike  remain  3'our  debtors.  If,  at  some 
future  time,  when  I  am  mingled  with  the  dust,  and  the  arm 
of  my  infant  son  has  been  nerved  for  deeds  of  manhood,  the 
storm  of  war  should  burst  upon  your  city,  I  feel  that  relying 
upon  his  inheriting  the  instincts  of  his  ancestors  and  mine,  I 
may  pledge  him  in  that  perilous  hour  to  stand  by  your  side 
in  the  defense  of  your  hearth-stones,  and  in  maintaining  the 
honor  of  a  flag  whose  constellation,  though  torn  and  smoked  in 
many  a  battle  by  sea  and  land,  has  never  been  stained  by  dis- 
honor, and  will,  I  trust,  forever  fly  as  free  as  the  breeze  which 
unfolds  it. 

"•'A  stranger  to  you,  the  salubrity  of  your  location,  and  the 
beauty  of  its  scenery  were  not  wholly  unknown  to  me,  nor 
were  there  wanting  associations  which  busy  memory  connected 
with  your  people.  You  will  pardon  me  for  alluding  to  one 
whose  genius  shed  a  lustre  upon  all  it  touched,  and  whose 
qualities  gathered  about  him  hosts  of  friends  wherever  he  was 
known.  Prentiss,  a  native  of  Portland,  lived  from  youth  to 
middle  age  in  the  county  of  my  residence;  and  the  inquiries 
which  ha\*t;  been  made  show  me  that  the  youth  excited  the 


A  OA  IN  IN  THE  UNITED  STA  TES  SENA  TE.  161 

interest  \yiucli  the  greatness  of  the  man  justified,  and  that  his 
memory  thus  remains  a  link  to  connect  your  home  witli  mine. 
A  cursory  view,  when  passing  through  your  town  on  former 
occasions,  had  impressed  me  with  the  great  advantages  of  your 
harbor,  its  easy  entrance,  its  depth,  and  its  extensive  accom- 
modations for  shipping.  But  its  advantages  and  its  facilities, 
as  they  have  been  developed  by  closer  inspection,  have  grown 
upon  me,  until  I  realize  that  it  is  no  boast,  but  the  language  of 
sober  truth,  which,  in  the  present  state  of  commerce,  pro- 
nounces them  unequalled  in  any  harbor  of  our  countr3\ 

"  'And  surely  no  place  could  be  more  inviting  to  an  invalid 
who  sought  refuge  from  the  heat  of  Southern  summer.  Here 
waving  elms  offer  him  shaded  walks,  and -magnificent  resi- 
dences, surrounded  by  flowers,  fill  the  mind  with  ideas  of  com- 
fort and  rest.  If,  weary  of  constant  contact  with  his  fellow- 
men,  he  seeks  a  deeper  seclusion  there,  in  the  background  of 
this  grand  amphitheatre,  lie  the  eternal  mountains,  frowning 
with  brow  of  rock  and  cap  of  snow  upon  smiling  fields  beneath, 
and  there  in  its  recesses  may  be  found  as  much  wildness  and 
as  much  of  solitude  as  the  pilgrim,  weary  of  the  cares  of  life, 
can  desire.  If  he  turn  to  the  front,  your  capacious  harbor 
studded  with  green  islands  of  ever-varying  light  and  shade 
and  enlightened  by  all  the  stirring  evidences  of  commercial 
activity,  offer  him  the  mingled  charms  of  busy  life  and  nature's 
calm  repose.  A  few  miles  further,  and  he  may  sit  upon  the 
quiet  shore  to  listen  to  the  murmuring  wave  until  the  troubled 
spirit  sinks  to  rest;  and  in  the  little  sail  that  vanishes  on  the 
illimitable  sea  we  find  the  type  of  the.  voyage  which  he  is  soon 
to  take,  when,  his  ephemeral  existence  closed,  he  embarks  for 
that  better  state  which  lies  beyond  the  grave. 

" '  Richly  endowed  as  yow  are  by  nature  in  all  which  con- 
tributes to  pleasure  and  to  usefulness,  the  stranger  cannot  pass 
without  paying  a  tribute  to  the  much  which  your  energy  has 
achieved  for  yourselves.  Where  else  will  one  find  a  more 
U 


162  THE  DAVIS  MEMOBIAL  VOLUME. 

happy  union  of  magnificence  and  comfort?  Where  better 
arrangements  to  facilitate  commerce?  Where  so  much  of  indus- 
try with  so  little  noise  and  bustle?  Where,  in  a  phrase,  so 
much  effected  in  proportion  to  the  means  emplo^^ed  ?  We  hear 
the  puff  of  the  engine,  the  roll  of  the  wheel,  the  ring  of  the 
ax  and  the  saw,  but  the  stormy,  passionate  exclamation  so  often 
mingled  with  the  sounds  are  nowhere  heard.  Yet  neither  these 
nor  other  things  which  I  have  mentioned,  attractive  though 
they  be,  have  been  to  me  the  chief  charm  which  I  have  found 
among  you.  Far  above  all  these,  I  place  the  gentle  kindness, 
the  cordial  welcome,  the  hearty  grasp  which  made  me  feel 
truly  and  at  once,  though  wandering  afar,  that  I  was  still  at 
home.  My  friends,  I  thank  you  for  this  additional  manifes- 
tation of  youi  good  will.'" 

On  the  10th  of  October,  1858,  ^Mr.  Davis  addressed  an 
immense  crowd  at  Fanueil  Hall,  Boston. 

At  this  meeting  he  was  introduced  by  his  old  friend  and 
colleague  in  President  Pierce's  Cabinet,  General  Caleb  Cush- 
ing,  of  Massachusetts,  who  made  an  eloquent  and  earnest 
defense  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  then  said : 

"And  now,  gentlemen,  I  have  allowed  myself  unthinkingly 
to  be  carried  beyond  my  original  purpose.  I  return  to  it  to 
remind  you  that  here  among  us  is  a  citizen  of  one  of  the 
Southern  States,  eloquent  among  the  most  eloquent  In  debate? 
wise  among  the  wisest  in  council,  and  brave  among  the  brav- 
est in  the  battle-field.  A  citizen  of  a  Southern  State  who 
knows  that  he  can  associate  with  you,  the  representatives  of 
the  Democracy  and  the  nationality  of  Massachusetts,  that  he 
can  associate  with  you  on  equal  footing  with  the  fellow-citizens 
and  common  members  of  these  United  States. 

"  My  friends,  there  are  those  here  present,  and,  in  fact,  there 
is  no  one  here  present  of  whom  it  cannot  be  said  that,  in 
memory  and  admiration  at  least,  and  if  not  in  the  actual  fact, 
yet  in  proud  and  bounding  memory,  they  have  been  able  to 


A  GAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STA  TES  SENA  TE.  1  ns 

tread  the  glorious  tracks  of  the  victorious  achievements  ol 
Jefferson  Davis  on  the  fields  of  Monterey  and  Buena  Vista, 
and  all  have  heard  or  have  read  the  accents  of  eloquence 
addressed  by  him  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States;  and  there 
is  one,  at  least,  who,  from  his  own  personal  observation,  can 
bear  witness  to  the  fact  of  the  surpassing  wisdom  of  Jefferson 
Davis  in  the  administration  of  the  Government  of  the  United 
States.  Such  a  man,  fellow-citizens,  you  are  this  evening  to 
hear,  and  to  hear  as  a  beautiful  illustration  of  the  working  of 
our  republican  institutions  of  these  United  States,  of  the 
republican  institutions  which  in  our  own  country,  our  own 
republic,  as  in  the  old  republics  of  Athens  and  of  Rome, 
exhibit  the  same  combinations  of  the  highest  military  and 
civic  qualities  in  the  same  person.  It  must  naturally  be  so, 
for  in  a  republic  every  citizen  is  a  soldier,  and  every  soldier  a 
citizen.  Not  in  these  United  States  on  the  occurrence  of 
foreign  war  is  that  spectacle  exhibited  which  we  have  so 
recently  seen  in  our  mother-country,  of  the  adaiinistration  of 
the  country  going  abroad  begging  and  stealing  soldiers 
throughout  Europe  and  America.  No!  And  while  I  ask  you, 
my  friends,  to  ponder  this  fact  in  relation  to  that  disastrous 
struggle  of  giants  which  so  recently  occurred  in  oar  day — the 
Crimean  War — I  ask  3'ou  whether  any  English  gentle^nan,  any 
member  of  the  British  House  of  Commons,  any  member  of  the 
British  House  of  Peers,  abandoned  the  ease  of  home,  abandoned 
his  easy  hours  at  home,  an  si  went  into  the  country  among  his 
friends,  tenants,  and  fellow-countrymen,  volunteering  there  to 
raise  troops  ,for  the  service  of  England  in  that  hour  of  her 
peril;  did  any  such  fact  occur?  No!  But  here  in  these 
United  States  we  had  examples,  and  illustrious  ones,  of  the 
fact  that  men,  eminent  in  their  place  in  Congress,  abandoned 
their  stations  and  their  honors  to  go  among  fellow-citizens  of 
their  own  States,  and  their  raise  troops  vith  which  to  vindi- 
cate the  honor  and  the  flag  of  their  country.  Of  such  men 
"Was  Jefferson  Davia. 


164  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

"There  is  now  living  one  military  man  of  prominent  dis- 
tinction in  the  public  eye  of  England  and  the  United  States — 
I  'mean  Sir  Colin  Campbell,  now  Lord  Clyde  of  Clydesdale. 
He  deserves  tlie  distinction  he  enjoys,  for  he  has  redeemed  the 
British  flag  on  the  ensanguined^  burning  plains  of  India.  He 
has  restored  the  glory  of  the  British  name  in  Asia.  I  honor 
him.  Scotland,  England,  Wales  and  Ireland  are  open,  for 
their  counties,  as  well  as  their  countries,  and  their  poets, 
orators,  and  statesmen,  and  their  generals,  belong  to  our  his- 
tory as  well  as  theirs.  I  will  never  disavow  Henry  V.  on  the 
plains  of  Agincourt;  never  Oliver  Cromwell  on  the  fields  of 
jNhirston  Moor  and  Naseby,  never  Sarsfield  on  the  banks  of 
the  Boyne.  The  glories  and  honors  of  Sir  Colin  Campbell  are 
the  glories  of  the  British  race,  and  the  races  of  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland,  from  whom  we  are  descended. 

"But  what  gained  Sir  Colin  Campbell  the  opportunity  to 
achieve  tliose  glorious  results  in  India?  Remember  that,  and 
let  us  see  what  it  was.  On  one  of  those  bloody  battles  fought 
by  the  British  before  the  fortress  of  Sebastopol,  in  the  midst  of 
the  perils,  the  most  perilous  of  all  the  battle-fields  England 
ever  encountered  in  Europe,  in  one  of  the  bloody  charges  of 
the  Russian  cavalry,  there  was  an  officer — a  man  who  felt  and 
who  possessed  sufficient  confidence  in  the  troops  he  com- 
manded, and  in  the  authority  of  his  own  voice  and  example — ■ 
received  that  charge  not  in  the  ordinary,  common-place,  and 
accustomed  manner,  by  forming  his  troops  into  a  hollow 
square,  and  thus  arresting  the  charge,  but  by  forming  into 
two  diverging  lines,  and  thus  receiving  upon  the  rifles  of  his 
Highlandmen  the  charge  of  the  Russian  cavalry  and  rej^eliing 
it.  How  all  .England  rang  with  the  glory  of  that  achieve- 
ment! How  the  general  voice  of  England  placed  upon  the 
brows  of  Sir  Colin  Campbell  the  laurels  of  the  future  mas- 
tership of  victory  for  the  arms  of  England  !  And  well  they 
might  do  so.     But  who  origina-ted  that  movement;  who  set 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  IGo 

the  example  of  that  gallant  operation — who  but  Colonel  Jefier- , 
son  Davis,  of  the  First  Mississippi  regiment,  on  the  field  of 
Buena  Arista?  He  was  justly  entitled  to  the  applause  of  the 
restorer  of  victory  to  the  arms  of  the  Union.  Gentlemen,  in 
our  country,  in  this  da}^  such  a  man,  such  a  master  of  the  art 
of  war,  so  daring  in  the  field,  such  a  man  may  not  only  aspire 
to  the  highest  places  in  the  executive  government  of  the  Union, 
but  such  a  man  may  acquire  what  nowhere  else,  since  the  days 
of  Cimon  and  Miltiades,  of  the  Cincinnati  and  the  Cornelii  of 
Athens  and  of  Eome,  has  been  done  by  the  human  race,  the 
combination  of  eminent  powers,  of  intellectual  cultivation,  and 
of  eloquence  with  the  practical  qualities  of  a  statesman  and 
general. 

"But,  gentlemen,  I  am  again  betrayed  beyond  my  purpose. 
Sir  (addressing  General  Davis),  we  welcome  you  to  the  Com- 
monwealth of  Massachusetts.  You  may  not  find  here  the  ard- 
ent skies  of  your  own  sunny  South,  but  you  will  find  as  ardent 
hearts,  as  warm  and  generous  hands  to  welcome  you  to  our 
Commonwealth.  We  welcome  you  to  the  city  of  Boston,  and 
you  have  already  experienced  hovr  open-hearted,  how  generous, 
how  free  from  all  possible  taint  of  sectional  thought  are  the 
hospitality  and  cordiality  of  the  city  of  Boston.  AVe  welcome 
you  to  Faneuil  Hall.  Many  an  eloquent  voice  has  in  all  times 
resounded  from  the  walls  of  Faneuil  Hall.  It  is  said  that  no 
voice  is  uttered  by  man  in  this  air  we  breathe  but  enters  into 
that  air.  It  continues  there  immortal  as  the  portion  of  the 
universe  into  which  it  has  passed.  If  it  be  so,  how  instinct  is 
Faneuil  Hall  with  the  voice  of  the  great,  good,  and  glorious  of 
past  generations,  and  of  our  own,  whose  voices  have  echoed 
through  its  walls,  whose  elocjuent  words  have  thrilled  the 
hearts  of  hearers,  as  if  a  pointed  sword  were  passing  them 
through  and  through.  Here  Adams  aroused  his  countrymen 
in  the  War  of  Independence,  and  Webster  invoked  them  almost 
"with  the  dying  breath  of  his  body — invoked  with  that  voice 


166  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  V0LU3IE. 

of  majesty  and  power  which  he  alone  possessed — invoked  them 
to  a  union  between  the  North  and  South.  Ay,  sir,  and  who, 
if  he  were  present,  who  from  those  blest  abodes  on  high  from 
which  he  looks  down  upon  us  would  congratulate  us  for  this 
scene.  First,  and  above  all,  because  his  large  heart  would 
have  appreciated  the  spectacle  of  a  statesman  eminent  among 
the  most  eminent  of  the  Southern  States  "here  addressing  an 
assembly  of  the  people  in  the  city  of  Boston.  Because,  in  the 
second  place,  he  would  have  remembered  that,  though  divided 
from  you  by  party  relations,  in  one  of  the  critical  hours  of  his 
fame  and  his  honor,  your  voice  was  not  wanting  for  his  vindi- 
cation in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States.  Sir,  again,  I  say 
we  welcome  you  to  Faneuil  Hall. 

"And  now,  my  fellow-citizens,  I  will  withdraw  myself  and 
present  to  you  the  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis." 

Mr.  Davis  spoke  as  follows  : 

"  Countrymen,  Brethren,  Democrats:  ]\Iost  happy  am  I  to  meet 
you,  and  to  have  received  here  renewed  assurance — of  that 
which  I  have  so  long  believed — that  the  pulsation  of  the 
Democratic  heart  is  the  same  in  every  parallel  of  latitude,  on 
every  meridian  of  longitude,  throughout  the  United  States. 
It  required  not  this  to  confirm  me  in  a  belief  I  have  so  long 
and  so  happily  enjoyed.  Your  own  great  statesman  (the  Hon. 
Caleb  Cushing),  who  has  introduced  me  to  this  assembly,  has 
been  too  long  associated  with  me,  too  nearly  connected,  we 
have  labored  too  many  hours,  until  one  day  ran  into  another, 
in  the  cause  of  our  country,  for  me  to  fail  to  understand  that 
a  Massachusetts  Democrat  has  a  heart  as  w4de  as  the  Union, 
and  that  its  pulsations  always  beat  for  the  liberty  and  happi- 
ness of  his  country.  Neither  could  I  be  unaware  that  such 
w^as  the  sentiment  of  the  Democracy  of  New  England.  For  it 
w^as  my  fortune  lately  to  servo  under  a  President  drawn  from 
the  neighboring  State  of  New  Hampshire,  and  I  know  that  he 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE. 


167 


spoke  the  language  of  his  heart,  for  I  learned  it  in  four  years 
of  intimate  relations  with  him,  when  he  said  he  knew  'no 
North,  no  South,  no  East,  no  West,  but  sacred  maintenance  of 
the  common  bond  and  true  devotion  to  the  common  brother- 
hood/ Never,  sir,  in  the  past  history  of  our  country,  never,  I 
add,  in  its  future  destiny,  however  bright  it  may  be,  did  or 
will  a  man  of  higher  and  purer  patriotism,  a  man  more  devo- 
ted to  the  common  weal  of  his  country,  hold  the  helm  of  our 
great  ship  of  state,  than  Franklin  Pierce. 

"  I  have  heard  the  resolutions  read  and  approved  by  this 
meeting ;  I  have  heard  the  address  of  your  candidate  for  Gov- 
ernor; and  these,  added  to  the  address  of  my  old  and  intimate 
friend,  General  Gushing,  bear  to  me  fresh  testimony,  which  I 
shall  be  happy  to  carry  away  with  me,  that  the  Democracy,  in 
the  language  of  your  own  glorious  Webster,  'still  lives';  lives 
ribt  as  his  great  spirit  did,  when  it  hung  'twixt  life  and  death, 
like  a  star  upon  the  horizon's  verge,  but  lives  like  the  germ 
that  is  shooting  upward ;  like  the  sapling  that  is  growing  to  a 
mighty  tree,  and  I  trust  it  may  redeem  Massachusetts  to  her 
glorious  place  in  the  Union,  when  she  led  the  van  of  the  defen- 
ders of  State  rights. 

"  When  I  see  Faneuil  Hall  thus  thronged  it  reminds  me  of 
another  meeting,  when  it  was  found  too  small  to  contain  the 
assembly  that  met  here,  on  the  call  of  the  people,  to  know 
what  sliould  be  done  in  relation  to  the  tea-tax,  and  when, 
Faneuil  Hall  being  too  small,  they  went  to  the  old  South 
Church,  which  still  stands  a  monument  of  your  early  day.  I 
hope  the  time  will  soon  come  when  many  Democratic  meetings 
in  Boston  will  be  too  large  for  Faneuil  Hall.  I  am  welcomed 
to  this  hall,  so  venerable  for  all  the  associations  of  our  early 
history  ;  to  this  hall  of  which  you  are  so  justly  proud,  and  the 
memories  of  which  are  part  of  the  inheritance  of  every  Ameri- 
can citizen ;  and  I  felt,  as  I  looked  upon  it,  and  remembered 
how  many  voices  of  patriotic  fervor  have  filled  it — how  here 


168  THE  DAVIS  MEMOBIAL  VOLUME. 

the  first  movement  originated  from  wliicli  tlie  Revolution 
sprang ;  how  here  began  the  system  of  town  meetings 
and  free  discussion — tliat,  though  my  theme  was  more 
humble  than  theirs,  as  befitted  my  humbler  powers,  I  had 
enough  to  warn  me  that  I  was  assuming  much  to  speak 
in  this  sacred  chamber.  But,  when  I  heard  your  distin- 
guished orator  say  that  words  utttered  here  could  never 
die,  that  they  li^ed  and  became  a  part  of  the  circumambient 
air,  I  feel  a  hesitation  which  increases  upon  me  with  the  remem- 
brance of  his  expressions.  But,  if  those  voices  which  breathed 
the  first  impulse  into  the  colonies — now  the  United  States — to 
proclaim  independence,  and  to  unite  for  resistance  against  the 
power  of  the  mother  country — if  those  voices  live  here  still, 
how  must  they  fare  wdio  come  here  to  preach  treason  to  the 
constitution  and  to  assail  the  union  of  these  States?  It  would 
seem  that  their  criminal  hearts  would  fear  that  those  voices, 
so  long  slumbering,  would  break  silence,  that  those  forms 
which  hang  upon  these  walls  behind  me  might  come  forth, 
and  that  the  sabres  so  long  sheathed  would  leap  from  their 
scabbards  to  drive  from  this  sacred  temple  those  who  desecrate 
it  as  did  the  money-changers  who  sold  doves  in  the  temple  of 
the  living  God. 

"  Here  you  have,  to  remind  you,  and  to  remind  all  who 
enter  this  hall,  the  portraits  of  those  men  who  are  dear  to 
every  lover  of  liberty,  and  part  and  parcel  of  the  memory  of 
every  American  citizen;  and  highest  among  them  all  I  see 
you  have  placed  Samuel  Adams  and  John  Hancock.  You 
have  placed  them  the  highest,  and  proj)erly ;  for  they  were 
two,  the  only  two,  excepted  from  the  proclamation  of  mercy, 
when  Governor  Gage  issued  his  anathema  against  them  and 
against  their  fellow-patriots.  These  men,  thus  excepted  from 
the  saving  grace  of  the  crown,  now  occupy  the  highest  places 
in  Faneuil  Hall,  and  thus  seem  to  be  the  highest  in  the  reve- 
rence of  the  people  of  Boston.    This  is  one  of  the  instances  in 


A  GAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  ST  A  TES  SENA  TE.  1 69 

•which  we  find  tradition  so  much  more  reliable  than  history; 
for  tradition  has  borne  the  name  of  Samuel  Adams  to  the 
remotest  of  the  colonies,  and  the  new  States  formed  out  of 
what  was  territory  of  the  old  colonies;  and  there  it  is  a  name  as 
sacred  among  us  as  it  is  among  you. 

"We  all  remember  how  early  he  saw  the  necessity  of  com- 
munity INDEPENDENCE.  How,  through  the  dim  mists  of  the 
future,  and  in  advance  of  his  da}',  he  looked  forward  to  the 
proclamation  of  the  independence  of  Massachusetts;  how  lie 
steadily  strove,  through  good  report  and  evil  report,  with  a 
great,  unwavering  heart,  whether  in  the  midst  of  his  fellow- 
citizens,  cheered  by  their  voices,  or  communing  with  his  own 
heart,  when  driven  from  liis  home,'  his  eyes  were  still  fixed 
upon  his  first,  last  hope,  the  community  independence  of  Mas- 
sachusetts! Always  a  commanding  figure,  we  see  him,  at  a 
later  period,  the  leader  in  the  correspondence  which  waked  the 
feelings  of  the  other  colonies  to  united  fraternal  association — 
the  people  of  Massachusetts  with  the  people  of  the  other  colo- 
nies— there  we  see  his  letters  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  rice 
of  South  Carolina,  and  .the  money  of  New  York  and  Pennsyl- 
vania— all  these  poured  in  to  relieve  Boston  of  the  suffering 
inflicted  upon  her  when  the  port  was  closed  by  the  despotism 
of  the  British  crown — we  see  the  beginning  of  that  which 
insured  the  co-operation  of  the  colonies  throughout  the  despe- 
rate struggle  of  the  Revolution.  And  we  there  see  that  which, 
if  the  present  generation  be  true  to  the  memory  of  their  sires, 
to  the  memory  of  the  noble  men  from  whom  they  descended, 
will  perpetuate  for  them  that  sj^irit  of  fraternity  in  which  the 
Union  begaii.  But  it  is  not  here  alone,  nor  in  reminiscences 
connected  with  the  objects  which  present  themselves  within 
this  hall,  that  the  people  of  Boston  have  much  to  excite  their 
patriotism  and  carry  them  back  to  the  great  princij^les  of  the 
Revolutionary  struggle.  Where  will  you  go  and  not  meet  some 
monument  to  inspire  such  sentiments?     Go  to  Lexington  and 


170  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Concord,  where  sixty  brave  countrymen  came  with  their  fowl- 
ing-pieces to  oppose  six  hundred  veterans — where  they  forced 
those  veterans  back,  pursuing  them  on  the  road,  fighting  from 
every  barn,  and  bush,  and  stock,  and  stone,  till  they  drove 
them,  retreating,  to  the  ships  from  which  they  went  forth ! 
And  there  stand  those  monuments  of  your  early  patriotism, 
Breed's  and  Bunker's  Hills,  whose  soil  drank  the  martyr-blood 
of  men  who  lived  for  their  country  and  died  for  mankind ! 
Can  it  be  any  of  you  should  tread  that  soil  and  forget  the  great 
purposes  for  which  those  men  died  ?  "While,  on  the  other  side, 
rise  the  heights  of  Dorchester,  where  once  stood  the  encamp- 
ment of  the  Virginian,  the  man  who  came  here,  and  did  not 
ask.  Is  this  a  town  of  Virginia?  but.  Is  this  a  town  of  my 
brethren  ?  The  steady  courage  and  cautious  wisdom  of  Wash- 
ington availed  to  drive  the  British  troops  out  from  the  city 
which  they  had  so  confidently  held.  Here,  too,  you  find  where 
once  the  old  Liberty  Tree, connected  with  so  many  of  your  mem- 
ories, grew.  You  ask  your  legend,  and  learn  that  it  was  cut 
down  for  firewood  by  British  soldiers,  as  some  of  your  meet- 
ing-houses were  destroyed;  they  burned  the  old  tree,  and  it 
warmed  the  soldiers  long  enough  to  leave  town,  and,  had  they 
burned  it  a  little  longer,  its  light  would  have  shown  Washing- 
ington  and  his  followers  where  their  enemies  were. 

"  But  they  are  gone,  and  never  again  shall  a  hostile  foot  set 
its  imprint  upon  your  soil.  Your  harbor  is  being  fortified,  to 
prevent  an  un-expected  attack  on  your  city  by  a  hostile  fleet. 
But  woe  to  the  enemy  whose  fleet  shall  bear  him  to  your  shores 
to  set  his  footprint  upon  your  soil ;  he  goes  to  a  prison  or  to  a 
grave  I  American  fortifications  are  not  built  from  any  fear  of 
invasion,  they  are  intended  to  guard  points  where  marine 
attacks  can  be  made;  and,  for  the  rest,  the  hearts  of  Ameri- 
cans are  our  ramparts. 

"  But,  my  friends,  it  is  not  merely  in  these  associations,  so 
connected  with  the   honorable   pride  of  Massachusetts,  tliat 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENA  TE.  171 

one  who  visits  Boston  finds  much  for  gratification,  hope, 
and  instruction.  If  I  were  selecting  a  j)lace  where  the  advocate 
of  strict  construction,  the  extreme  expounder  of  democratic 
State-rights  doctrine  should  go  for  his  texts,  I  would  send  him 
into  the  collections  of  your  liistorical  associations.  Instead  of 
going  to  Boston  as  a  place  where  only  consolidation  would 
be  found,  he  would  find  written,  in  letters  of  living  light, 
that  sacred  creed  of  State  rights  which  has  been  mis- 
called the  ultra  opinions  of  the  South ;  he  could  find 
among  your  early  records  that  this  Faneuil  Hall,  the  pro- 
perty of  the  town  at  the  time  when  Massachusetts  was  under 
colonial  government,  administered  by  a  man  appointed  by  the 
British  crown,  guarded  by  British  soldiers,  was  refused  to  a 
British  Governor  in  which  to  hold  a  British  festival,  because 
he  was  going  to  bring  with  him  the  agents  for  collecting,  and 
naval  ofiicers  sent  here  to  enforce,  an  oppressive  tax  u^Don  your 
Commonwealth.  Such  was  the  proud  spirit  of  independence 
manifested  even  in  your  colonial  history.  Such  is  the  great 
foundation-stone  on  which  may  be  erected  an  eternal  monu- 
ment of  States  rights.  And  so,  in  an  early  period  of  our  country, 
you  find  Massachusetts  leading  the  movements,  prominent  of 
all  the  States,  in  the  assertion  of  that  doctrine  which  has  been 
recently  so  belied.  Having  achieved  your  independence,  hav- 
ing passed  through  the  Confederation,  you  assented  to  the 
formation  of  our  present  constitutional  Union.  You  did  not 
surrender  your  sovereignty.  Your  fathers  had  sacrificed  too 
much  to  claim  as  a  reward  of  t'heir  toil,  merely  that  they 
should  have  a  change  of  masters;  and  a  change  of  masters  it 
would  have  been  had  ]\Iassachusetts  surrendered  her  State 
sovereignty  to  the  central  Government,  and  consented  that  that 
central  Government  should  have  the  power  to  coerce  a  State. 
But,  if  this  power  does  not  exist,  if  this  sovereignty  has  not 
been  surrendered,  then,  who  can  deny  the  words  of  soberness 
and  truth  spoken  by  your  candidate  this  evening,  when  he  has 


172  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  VME. 

pleaded  to  you  the  cause  of  State  independence,  and  the  right 
of  every  community  to  be  judge  of  its  own  domestic  affairs? 
This  is  all  we  have  ever  asked — we  of  the  South  I  mean — 
for  I  stand  before  you  as  one  of  those  who  have  always  been 
called  the  ultra  men  of  the  South,  and  I  speak,  therefore,  for 
that  class;  and  I  tell  3'ou  that  your  candidate  for  Governor  has 
uttered  to-night  everything  which  we  hare  claimed  as  a  prin- 
ciple for  our  protection.  And  I  have  found  the  same  condition 
of  things  in  the  neighboring  State  of  Maine.  I  have  found 
that  the  Democrats  there  asserted  the  same  broad  constitu- 
tional principle  for  which  we  have  been  contending,  by  which 
■we  are  willing  to  live,  for  which  we  are  willing  to  die! 

"  In  this  state  of  the  case,  my  friends,  why  is  the  country 
agitated  ?  The  old  controversies  have  passed  away,  or  they 
have  subsided,  and  have  been  covered  up  by  one  dark  pall  of 
somber  hue,  which  increases  with  every  passing  year.  Why 
is  it,  then,  I  say,  that  j^ou  are  thus  agitated  in  relation  to  the 
domestic  affairs  of  other  communities?  Why  is  it  that  the 
peace  of  the  country  is  disturbed  in  order  that  one  people  may 
judge  of  what  another  people  may  do?  Is  there  any  political 
power  to  authorize  such  interference?  If  so,  where  is  it?  You 
did  not  surrender  your  sovereignty.  You  gave  to  the  Federal 
Government  certain  functions.  It  was  your  agent,  created  for 
specified  purposes.  It  can  do  nothing  save  that  which  you 
have  given  it  power  to  perform.  Where  is  the  grant?  Has  it 
a  right  to  determine  what  shall  be  property?  Surely  not  that 
belongs  to  every  community  to  decide  for  itself;  you  judge  in 
your  case — every  other  State  must  judge  in  its  case.  The 
Federal  Government  has  no  power  tc  destroy  property.  Do 
you  pay  taxes,  then  to  an  agent,  that  he  may  destroy  your 
property?  Do  you  support  him  for  that  purpose?  It  is  an 
absurdity  on  the  face  of  it.  To  ask  the  question  is  to  answer 
it.  The  Government  is  instituted  to  protect,  not  to  destroy, 
property.     And,  in  abundance  of  caution,  your  fathers  pro- 


AGAIN  IN  THE  VNITED  STATES  SENATE.  173 

vided  that  the  Federal  Government  should  not  take  })rivate 
property  for  its  own  use  unless  by  making  due  compensation 
tlierefor.  It  is  prohibited  from  attempting  to  destroy  property. 
One  of  its  great  purposes  was  protection  to  the  States.  When- 
ever that  power  is  made  a  source  of  danger,  we  destroy  the 
purpose  for  which  the  Government  was  formed. 

"Why,  then,  have  you  agitators?  With  Pharisaical  pre- 
tension it  is  sometimes  said  it  is  a  moral  obligation  to  agitate, 
and  I  suppose  they  are  going  through  a  sort  of  vicarious 
repentance  for  other  men's  sins.  AVith  all  due  allowance  for 
their  zeal,  we  ask,  how  do  they  decide  that  it  is  a  sin?  By  what 
standard  do  they  measure  it?  Not  the  constitution,  the  con- 
stitution recognizes  the  property  in  slaves  in  many  forms,  and 
imposes  obligations  in  connection  with  that  recognition.  Not 
the  Bible;  that  justifies  it.  Not  the  good  of  society;  for,  if 
they  go  where  it  exists,  they  find  that  society  recognizes  it  as 
good.  What,  then,  is  their  standard?  The  good  of  mankind  ? 
Is  that  seen  in  the  diminished  resources  of  the  country?  Is 
that  seen  in  the  diminished  comfort  of  the  world?  Or  is  not 
the  reverse  exhibited?  Is  there,  in  the  cause  of  Christianity, 
a  motive  for  the  prohibition  of  the  system  which  is  the  only 
agency  through  which  Christianity  has  reached  that  inferior 
race,  the  only  means  by  which  they  have  been  civilized  and 
elevated?  Or  is  their  piety  manifested  in  denunciation  of 
their  brethren,  who  are  deterred  from  answering  their  denun- 
ciation only  by  the  contempt  which  they  feel  for  a  mere 
brawler,  who  intends  to  end  his  brawling  only  in  empty  words? 

"What,  my  friends,  must  be  the  consequences?  Good  or 
evil?  They  have  been  evil,  and  evil  they  must  be  only  to  the 
end.  Not  one  particle  of  good  has  been  done  to  any  man,  of 
any  color,  by  this  agitation.  It  has  been  insidiously  working 
the  purpose  of  sedition,  for  the  destruction  of  that  Union  on 
which  our  hopes  of  future  greatness  depend. 


174  TBE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

"Oil  the  one  side,  then,  you  see  agitation  tending  slowly  and 
steadily  to  that  separation  of  States,  which,  if  you  have  any 
hope  connected  with  the  liberty  of  mankind;  if  you  have  any 
national  pride  connected  with  making  3-our  country  the  greatest 
on  the  face  of  the  earth;  if  you  have  any  sacred  regard  for  the 
obligations  which  the  deeds  and  the  blood  of  3'our  fathers  en- 
tailed upon  you,  that  hope  should  prompt  you  to  reject  any- 
thing that  would  tend  to  destroy  the  result  of  that  experiment 
which  they  left  it  to  you  to  conclude  and  perpetuate.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  each  community,  in  accordance  with  the  prin- 
ciples of  our  government,  should  regard  its  domestic  interests 
as  a  part  of  the  common  whole,  and  struggle  for  the  benefit  of 
all,  this  would  steadily  leadu^  to  fraternity,  to  unity,  to  coope- 
ration, to  the  increase  of  our  happiness  and  the  extension  of 
the  benefits  of  our  useful  example  over  mankind.  The  flag 
of  the  Union,  whose  stars  have  already  more  than  double^ 
their  original  number,  with  its  ample  folds  may  wave,  th 
the  recognized  flag  of  every  State,  oi  the  recognized  protect 
of  every  State  upon  the  continent  of  America. 

"In  connection  with  the  view  which  I  liave  presented  of  the 
early  idea  of  community   independence  I   will  add  tlie  very 
striking  fact  that  one  of  the  colonies,  about  tlie  tiiiie  they  had 
resolved  to  unite  for  tlie  purpose  of  achievini;  their  imlepen 
dence,  addressed  the  Colonial  Congress  ti>   k'low  in   wliat  con- 
dition it  would  be  in  the  interval  between  its  separation  from 
the  government  of  Great  Britain  and  the  establishment  of  a 
government  on  this  continent.     The  answer  of  the  Colonial 
Congress  was  exactly  what  might  have  been  expected — exactly 
what  State-rights  Democracy  would  answer  to-day  to  such  an 
inquiry — that  they  'had  nothing  to  do  with  it.'     If  such  senti 
ment  had  continued,  if  it  had  governed  in  every  State,  if  r^" 
resentatives    had    been    chosen    upon    i;.  tlien  y^nr    h;. 
Federal  legislation  would  not  have  been    disturb  d   r.bov.l  : 
question  of  the  domestic  institutions  of  the  different  States. 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  175 

The  peace  of  the  country  would  not  be  hazarded  by  the  arraign- 
ment of  the  family  relations  of  people  over  whom  the  govern- 
ment has  no  control.  If  in  harmony  working  together,  with 
co-intelligence  for  the  conservation  of  the  interests  of  the 
countr}^ — if  protection  to  the  States  and  the  other  great  ends 
for  which  the  government  was  es-tablished,  had  been  the  aim 
and  united  effort  of  all — what  effects  would  not  have  been 
produced?  As  our  government  increases  in  expansion  it 
would  increase  in  its  beneficent  effect  upon  the  people ;  we 
should,  as  we  grow  in  power  and  prosperity,  also  grow  in  fra- 
ternity, and  it  would  be  no  longer  a  wonder  to  see  a  man 
coming  from  a  Southern  State  to  address  a  Democratic  audi- 
ence in  Boston. 

"  But  I  have  referred  to  the  fact  that  Massachusetts  stood 
preeminently  forward  among  those  who  asserted  community 
independence ;  and  this  reminds  me  of  another  incident.  Pres- 
ident Washington  visited  Boston  when  John  Hancock  was 
Governor,  and  Hancock  refused  to  call  upon  the  President, 
because  he  contended  that  any  man  who  came  within  the 
limits  of  Massachusetts  must  yield  rank  and  precedence  to  the 
Governor  of  the  State.  He  eventually  only  surrendered  the 
point  on  account  of  his  personal  regard  and  respect  for  the 
character  of  George  Washington.  I  honor  him  for  this,  and 
value  it  as  one  of  the  early  testimonies  in  favor  of  State  rights. 
I  wish  all  our  Governors  had  the  same  regard  for  the  dignity 
of  the  State  as  had  the  great  and  glorious  John  Hancock. 

"In  the  beginning  the  founders  of  this  government  were 
true  Democratic  State-rights  men.  Democracy  was  State 
rights,  and  State  rights  was  democracy,  and  it  is  so  to-day. 
Your  resolutions  breathe  it.  The  Declaration  of  Independence 
embodied  the  sentiments  Avhich  had  lived  in  the  hearts  of  the 
country  for  many  years  before  its  formal  assertion.  Our 
fathers  asserted  the  great  principle — the  right  of  the  people  to 
choose   their  own  government — and  that  government  rested 


176  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

tip  on  the  consent  of  the  governed.  In  every  form  of  expression 
it  uttered  the  same  idea,  community  independence  and  the  de- 
pendence of  the  Union  upon  the  communities  of  which  it 
consisted.  It  was  an  American  declaration  of  the  unalienable 
right  of  man;  it  was  a  general  truth,  and  I  wish  it  were 
accepted  by  all  men.  But  I  have  said  that  this  State  sover- 
eignty— this  community  independence — has  never  been  sur- 
rendered, and  that  there  is  no  power  in  the  Federal  govern- 
ment to  coerce  a  State.  AYill  any  one  ask  me,  then,  how  a 
State  is  to  be  held  to  the  fulfillment  of  its  obligations?  My 
answer  is,  by  its  honor.  The  obligation  is  the  more  sacred  to 
observe  every  feature  of  the  compact,  because  there  is  no  power 
to  enforce  it.  The  great  error  of  the  confederation  was,  that 
it  attempted  to  act  upon  the  States.  It  was  found  impracti- 
cable, and  our  present  form  of  government  was  adopted,  vdiicli 
acts  upon  individuals,  and  is  not  designed  to  act  upon  States. 
The  question  ol  State  coercion  was  raised  in  the  convention 
which  framed  the  constitution,  and,  after  discussion,  the  prop- 
osition to  give  power  to  the  general  government  to  enforce 
against  any  State  obedience  to  the  laws  was  rejected.  It  is 
upon  the  ground  that  a  State  cannot  be  coerced  that  observ- 
ance of  the  compact  is  a  sacred  obligation.  It  was  upon  this 
principle  that  our  fathers  depended  for  the  perpetuity  of  a 
fraternal  Union,  and  for  the  security  of  the  rights  that  the 
constitution  was  designed  to  preserve.  The  fugitive  slave 
compact  in  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  implied  that 
the  States  should  fulfill  it  voluntarily.  They  expected  the 
States  to  legislate  so  as  to  secure  the  rendition  of  fugitives; 
and  in  1778  it  was  a  matter  of  complaint  that  the  Spanish 
colony  of  Florida  did  not  restore  fugitive  negroes  from  the 
United  States  who  escaped  into  that  colony,  and  a  committee, 
composed  of  Hamilton,  of  New  York,  Sedgwick,  of  Massa- 
chusetts, and  Mason,  of  Virginia,  reported  resolutions  in  the 
Congress,   instructing    the  Secretary   of    Foreign   Afi'airs   to 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  ITT 

address  the  charge  cV  affaires  at  Madrid  to  apply  to  his  Majesty 
of  Spain  to  issue  orders  to  his  governor  to  compel  them  to ' 
secure  the  rendition  of  fugitive  negroes.  This  was  the  senti- 
ment of  the  committee,  and  tliey  added,  also,  that  the  States 
would  return  any  slaves  from  Florida  who  might  escape  into 
their  limits. 

. "  When  tlie  constitutional  obligation  was  imposed,  who 
could  have  doubted  that  every  State,  faithful  to  its  obligations, 
would  comply  with  the  requirements  of  the  constitution,  and 
waive  all  questions  as  to  whether  the  institution  should  or 
should  not  exist  in  another  community  over  which  they  had 
no  control  ?  Congress  was  at  last  forced  to  legislate  on  the 
subject,  and  they  have  continued,  up  to  a  recent  period,  to  leg- 
islate, and  this  has  been  one  of  the  causes  by  which  3'ou  have 
been  disturbed.  You  have  been  called  upon  to  make  war 
against  a  law  which  need  never  to  have  been  enacted,  if  each 
State  had  done  the  duty  which  she  was  called  upon  by  the 
constitution  to  jierform. 

"  Gentlemen,  this  presents  one  j^hase  of  agitation — negro 
agitation,  there  is  another  and  graver  question,  it  is  in  relation 
to  the  prohibition  by  Congress  of  the  introduction  of  slave 
property  into  the  Territories.  AVhat  power  does  Congress  pos- 
sess in  this  connection?  Has  it  the  right  to  say  what  shall 
be  property  anywhere?  If  it  has,  from  what  clause  of  the 
constitution  does  it  derive  that  power?  Have  other  States  the 
poAver  to  prescribe  the  condition  upon  which  a  citizen  of  another 
State  shall  enter  upon  and  enjoy  territory — common  j^roperty 
of  all?  Clearly  not.  Shall  the  inhabitants  who  first  go  into 
the  Territory  deprive  any  citizen  of  the  United  States  of  those 
rights  which  belong  to  him  as  an  equal  owner  of  the  soil? 
Certainly  not.  Sovereign  jurisdiction  can  only  pass  to  these 
inhabitants  when  the  States,  the  owners  of  that  Territory,  shall 
recognize  their  right  to  become  an  equal  member  of  the  Union. 
12 


178  THE  DA  VIS  MEMOBIAL   VOL  VME. 

Until  then,  the  constitution  and  the  laws  of  the  Union  must 
be  the  rule  governing  within  the  limits  of  a  Territory. 

"The  constitution  recognizes  all  property,  and  gives  equal 
privileges  to  every  citizen  of  the  States ;  and  it  would  be  a  vio- 
lation of  its  fundamental  principles  to  attempt  any  discrimi- 
nation. 

"There  is  nothing  of  truth  or  justice  with- which  to  sustain  this 
agitation^  or  ground  for  it,  unless  it  be  that  it  is  a  very  good  bridge 
over  which  to  pass  into  office;  a  little  stock  of  trade  in  politics 
built  U]3  to  aid  men  who  are  missionaries  staying  at  home ; 
reformers  of  things  which  they  do  not  go  to  learn ;  i:)reachers 
without  a  congregation  ;  overseers  without  laborers  and  with- 
out wages ;  war-horses  who  snuff  the  battle  afar  off  and  cry : 
'Aha  !  aha!  I  am  afar  off.' 

"  Thus  it  is  that  the  peace  of  the  Union  is  disturbed ;  thus  it  is 
that  brother  is  arrayed  against  brother ;  thus  it  is  that  the  people 
come  to  consider  not  how  they  can  promote  each  other's  inter- 
ests, but  how  tney  may  successfully  war  upon  them.  And 
among  the  things  most  odious  to  my  mind  is  to  find  a  man 
who  enters  upon  a  public  office,  under  the  sanction  of  the  con- 
stitution, and  taking  an  oath  to  support  the  constitution — the 
compact  between  the  States  binding  each  for  the  common 
defense  and  general  welfare  of  the  other — and  retaining  to 
himself  a  mental  reservation  that  he  will  war  upon  the  insti- 
tutions and  the  property  of  any  of  the  States  of  the  Union.  It  is 
a  crime  too  low  to  characterize  as  it  deserves  before  this  assem- 
bly. It  is  one  which  would  disgrace  a  gentleman — one  which 
a  man  with  self-respect  would  never  commit.  To  swear  that 
lie  will  support  the  constitution,  to  take  an  ojBSce  which  be- 
longs in  many  of  its  relations  to  all  the  States,  and  to  use  it  as 
a  means  of  injuring  a  portion  of  the  States  of  whom  he  is  thus 
an  agent,  is  treason  to  everything  that  is  honorable  in  man. 
It  is  the  base  and  cowardly  attack  of  him  who  gains  the 
confidence  of  another  in  order  that  he  may  wound  him.     But 


I 


Again  in  the  united  states  senate.         i79 

I  have  often  heard  it  argued,  and  I  have  seen  it  published :  I 
have  seen  a  petition  that  was  circulated  for  signers,  announcing 
that  there  was  an  incompatibility  between  the  different  sec- 
tions of  the  Union ;  that  it  had  been  tried  long  enough,  and 
that  they  must  get  rid  of  those  sections  in  which  the  curse  of 
slavery  existed.  Ah  !  those  sages,  so  much  wiser  than  our 
fathers,  have  found  out  that  there  is  incompatibility  in  thai 
which  existed  when  the  Union  was  formed.  They  have  found  an 
incompatibility  inconsistent  with  union,  in  that  which  existed 
when  South  Carolina  sent  her  rice  to  Boston,  and  Maryland 
and  Pennsylvania  and  New  York  brought  in  their  funds  foi 
her  relief.  The  fact  is  that,  from  that  day  to  this,  the  differ- 
ence between  the  people  of  the  colonies  has  been  steadily 
diminishing,  and  the  possible  advantages  of  union  in  no  small 
degree  augmented.  The  variety  of  product  of  soil  and  of  cli- 
mate has  been  multiplied,  both  by  the  expansion  of  our  coun- 
try and  by  the  introduction  of  new  tropical  products  not 
cultivated  at  that  time;  so  that  every  motive  to  union  which 
your  forefathers  had,  in  a  diversity  which  should  give  prosperity 
to  the  country,  exists  in  a  higher  degree  to-day  than  when  this 
Union  was  formed,  and  this  diversity  is  fundamental  to  the 
prosperity  of  the  people  of  the  several  sections  of  the  country. 

"  It  is,  however,  to-day,  in  sentiment  and  interest,  less  than 
on  the  day  when  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  made. 
Diversity  there  is — diversity  of  character — but  it  is  not  of  that 
extreme  kind  which  proves  incompatibility;  for  your  Massa- 
chusetts man,  when  he  comes  into  Mississippi,  adopts  our  opin- 
ions and  our  institutions,  and  frequently  becomes  the  most 
extreme  man  among  us.  As  our  country  has  extended,  as  new 
products  have  been  introduced  into  it,  this  Union  and  the  free 
trade  that  belongs  to  it  have  been  of  increasing  value.  And  I 
say,  moreover,  that  it  is  not  an  unfortunate  circumstance  that 
this  diversity  of  pursuit  and  character  still  remains.  Origi- 
nally it  sprang  in  no  small  degree  from  natural  causes.     Mas- 


180  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

sachusetts  became  a  manufacturing  and  commercial  State 
because  of  her  fine  liarbors — because  of  her  water-power, 
making  its  last  leap  into  the  sea,  so  that  the  ship  of  commerce 
brought  the  staple  to  the  manufacturing  power.  This  made 
you  a  commercial  and  a  manufacturing  people.  In  the  South- 
ern States  great  plains  interpose  between  the  last  leaps  of  the 
streams  and  the  sea.  Those  plains  were  cultivated  iu  staple 
crops,  and  the  sea  brought  their  products  to  your  streams  to  be 
manufactured.     This  was  the  first  beginning  of  the  differences. 

"Then  your  longer  and  more  severe  winters,  your  soil  not 
so  favorable  for  agriculture,  in  a  degree  kept  you  a  manufactu- 
ring and  a  commercial  people.  Even  after  the  cause  had 
passed  away — after  railroads  liad  been  built — after  the  steam- 
engine  had  become  a  motive  power  for  a  large  part  of  manu- 
facturing machinery,  the  natural  causes  from  which  your  peo- 
ple obtained  a  manufacturing  ascendency  and  ours  became 
chiefly  agriculturists  continued  to  act  in  a  considerable  measure 
to  preserve  that  relation.  Your  interest  is  to  remain  a  manu- 
facturing, and  ours  to  remain  an  agricultural  people.  Your 
prosperity,  then,  is  to  receive  our  staple  and  to  manufacture  it, 
and  ours  to  sell  it  to  you  and  buy  the  manufactured  goods. 
This  is  an  interweaving  of  interests  wdiich  makes  us  all  the 
richer  and  happier. 

"But  this  accursed  agitation,  this  intermeddling  with  the 
affairs  of  other  people,  is  that  alone  which  will  promote  a 
desire  in.  the  mind  of  any  one  to  separate  these  great  and  glo- 
rious States.  The  seeds  of  dissension  may  be  sown  by  invi- 
dious reflections.  Men  may  be  goaded  by  the  constant  attempts 
to  infringe  upon  rights  and  to  disturb  tranquility,  and  in  the 
resentment  which  follows  it  is  not  possible  to  tell  how  far  the 
wave  may  rush.  I,  therefore,  plead  to  j'ou  now  to  arrest  a 
fanaticism  which  has  been  evil  in  the  beginning  and  must  be 
evil  in  the  end.  You  may  not  have  the  numerical  power 
requisite,  and  those  at  a  distance  may  not  understand  how 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  181 

many  of  you  there  are  desirous  to  put  a  stop  to  the  course  of 
this  agitation.  For  me,  I  have  learned  since  I  have  been  in 
New  England  the  vast  mass  of  true  State-Rights  Democrats  to 
be  found  within  its  limits — though  not  represented  in  the  halls 
of  Congress.  And  if  it  comes  to  the  worst — if,  availing  them- 
selves of  the  majority  in  the  two  Houses  of  Congress,  they 
should  attempt  to  trample  upon  the  constitution;  if  they 
should  attempt  to  violate  the  rights  of  the  States;  if  they 
should  attempt  to  infringe  upon  our  equality  in  the  Union — 
I  believe  that  even  in  Massachusetts,  though  it  has  not  had  a 
representative  in  Congress  for  many  a  day,  the  State-rights 
Democracy,  in  whose  breast  beats  the  spirit  of  the  Eevolution, 
can  and  will  whip  the  black  Republicans.  ■  I  trust  we  shall 
never  be  thus  i^urified,  as  it  were,  by  fire,  but  that  the  peace- 
ful, progressive,  revolution  of  the  ballot-box  will  answer  all  the 
glorious  purposes  of  the  constitution  and  the  Union.  And  I 
marked  that  the  distinguished  orator  and  statesman  who  pre- 
ceded me,  in  addressing  you,  used  the  words  *  national'  and 
'constitutional'  in  such  relation  to  each  other  as  to  show  that 
in  his  mind  the  one  was  a  synonym  of  the  other.  I  say  so: 
we  became  national  by  the  constitution,  the  bond  for  uniting 
the  States,  and  national  and  constitutional  are  convertible 
terms. 

"  Your  candidate  for  the  high  office  of  governor — whom  I 
have  been  once  or  twice  on  the  point  of  calling  governor,  and 
whom  I  ho})e  I  may  be  able  soon  to  call  so — in  his  remarks  to 
you  has  presented  the  same  idea  in  another  form.  And  well 
may  IMassachusetts  orators,  without  even  perceiving,  what  they 
are  saying,  utter  sentiments  which  lie  at  the  foundation  of  your 
colonial  as  well  as  your  subsequent  political  history,  which 
existed  in  Massachusetts  before  the  Revolution,  and  have 
existed  ever  since,  whenever  the  true  spirit  which  comes  down 
from  the  Revolutionary  sires  has  swelled  and  found  utterance 
within  her  limits. 


182  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

"  It  has  been  not  only,  my  friends,  in  this  increasing  and 
mutual  dependence  of  interest  that  we  have  found  new  ties  to 
you.  These  bonds  are  both  material  and  mental.  Every 
improvement  or  invention,  every  construction  of  a  railroad, 
has  formed  a  new  reason  for  our  being  one.  Every  new 
achievement,  whether  it  has  been  in  arts  or  science,  in  war  or 
in  manufactures,  has  constituted  fo-r  us'a  new  bond  and  a  new 
sentiment  holding  us  together. 

"  Why,  then,  I  would  ask,  do  we  see  these  lengthened 
shadows  which  follow  in  the  course  of  our  political  history  ? 
Is  it  because  our  sun  is  declining  to  the  horizon?  Are 
they  the  shadows  of  evening,  or  are  they,  as  I  hopefully  believe, 
but  the  mists  which  are  exhaled  by  the  sun  as  it  rises,  but 
which  are  to  be  dispersed  by  its  meridian  glory?  Are  they 
but  the  little  evanishing  clouds  that  flit  between  the  people 
and  the  great  objects  for  which  the  constitution  was  estab- 
lislied?  I  hopefully  look  toward  the  reaction  which  will 
establish  the  fact  that  our  sun  is  still  in  the  ascendant — that 
that  cloud  which  has  so  long  covered  our  political  horizon  is 
to  be  dispersed — that  we  are  not  again  to  be  divided  on  paral- 
lels of  latitude  and  about  the  domestic  institutions  of  States — 
a  sectional  attack  on  the  prosperity  and  tranquility  of  a 
nation — but  only  by  differences  in  opinion  upon  measures  of 
expediency,  upon  questions  of  relative  interest,  by  discussions 
as  to  the  powers  of  the  States  and  the  rights  of  the  States,  and 
the  powers  of  the  Federal  government — such  discussion  as  is 
commemorated  in  this  picture  of  your  own  great  and  glorious 
Webster,  when  he  specially  addressed  our  best,  most  tried,  and 
greatest  man,  the  pure  and  incorruptible  Calhoun,  represented 
as  ititently  listening  to  catch  the  accents  of  eloquence  that  fell 
from  his  lips.  Those  giants  strove  each  for  his  conviction,  not 
against  a  section — not  against  each  other;  they  stood  to  each 
other  in  the  relation  of  personal  affection  and  esteem,  and  never 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  183 

did  I  see  Mr.  Webster  so  agitated,  never  did  I  hear  his  voice 
falter,  as  when  he  delivered  the  eulogy  on  John  C.  Calhoun, 

"But  allusion  was  made  to  my  own  connection  with  your 
great  and  favorite  departed  statesman.  Of  that  I  will  only 
say  on  this  occasion,  that  very  early  in  my  congressional  life 
Mr.  "Webster  was  arraigned  for  an  oflfense  which  aflfected  him 
most  deeply.  He  was  no  accountant,  and  all  knew  that.  He 
was  arraigned  on  a  pecuniary  charge — the  misapplication  of 
what  is  known  as  the  secret-service  fund — and  I  was  one  of  the 
committee  that  had  to  investigate  the  charge.  I  endeavored 
to  do  justice.  I  endeavored  to  examine  the  evidence  with  a 
view  to  ascertain  the  truth.  It  is  true  I  remembered  that  he 
was  an  eminent  American  statesman.  It  is  true  that  as  an 
American  I  hoped  he  would  come  out  without  a  stain  upon 
his  garments.  But  I  entered  upon  the.  investigation  to  find 
the  truth  and  to  do  justice.  The  result  was,  he  was  acquitted 
of  every  charge  that  was  made  against  him,  and  it  was  equally 
my  pride  and  my  pleasure  to  vindicate  him  in  every  form 
which  lay  within  my  power.  No  one  that  knew  Daniel  Web- 
ster could  have  believed  that  he  would  ever  ask  whether  a 
charge  was  made  against  a  Massachusetts  man  or  a  IMississip- 
pian.  No!  It  belonged  to  a  lower,  to  a  later,  and  I  trust  a 
shorter-lived  race  of  statesmen,  who  measure  all  facts  by  con- 
siderations of  latitude  and  longitude. 

"I  honor  that  sentiment  which  makes  us  oftentimes  too 
confident,  and  to  despise  too  much  the  danger  of  that  agita- 
tion which  disturbs  the  peace  of  the  country.  I  respect  that 
feeling  which  regards  the  Union  as  too  strong  to  be  broken. 
But,  at  the  same  time,  in  sober  judgment,  it  will  not  do  to 
treat  too  lightly  the  danger  which  has  existed  and  still  exists. 
I  have  heard  our  constitution  and  Union  compared  to  the 
granite  shores  which  face  the  sea,  and,  dashing  back  the  foam 
of  the  waves,  stand  unmoved  by  their  fury.  Now  I  accept  the 
the  simile;  and  I  have  stood  upon  the  shore,  and  I  have  seen 


184  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

the  waves  of  the  sea  dash  upon  the  granite  of  j^our  own  shores 
which  frowns  over  the  ocean,  have  seen  the  spray  throM^n 
back  from  the  cliffs.  But,  w^hen  the  tide  had  ebbed,  I  saw 
that  the  rock  was  seamed  and  worn;  and  when  the  tide  was 
low,  the  pieces  that  had  been  riven  from  the  granite  rock  were 
lying  at  its  base. 

"And  thus  the  weaves  of  sectional  agitation  are  dashing 
themselves  against  the  granite  patriotism  of  the  land.  But 
even  that  must  show  the  seams  and  scars  of  the  conflict.  Sec- 
tional hostility  will  follow.  The  danger  lies  at  your  door,  and 
it  is  time  to  arrest  it.  Too  long  have  we  allowed  this  influence 
to  progress.  It  is  time  that  men  should  go  back  to  the  first 
foundation  of  our  institutions.  They  should  drink  the  waters 
of  the  fountain  at  the  source  of  our  colonial  and  early  history. 

"  You,  men  of  Boston,  go  to  the  street  where  the  massacre 
occurred  in  1770.  There  you  should  learn  how  your  fathers 
strove  for  community  rights.  And  near  the  same  spot  j^ou 
should  learn  how  proudly  the  delegation  of  democracy  came 
to  demand  the  removal  of  the  troops  from  Boston,  and  how 
the  venerable  Samuel  Adams  stood  asserting  the  rights  of 
democracy,  dauntless  as  Hampden,  clear  and  eloquent  as  Sid- 
ney; and  how  they  drove  out  the  myrmidons  who  had  tram- 
pled on  the  rights  of  the  people. 

"All  over  our  country,  these  monuments,  instructive  to  the 
present  generation,  of  what  our  fathers  did,  are  to  be  found. 
In  the  library  of  your  association  for  the  collection  of  youi 
early  history,  I  found  a  letter  descriptive  of  the  reading  of  the 
church  service  to  his  army  by  General  Washington,  during 
one  of  those  winters  when  the  army  was  ill-clad  and  without 
shoes,  when  he  built  a  little  log-cabin  for  a  meeting-house,  and 
there,  reading  the  service  to  them  his  sight  failed  him,  he 
put  on  his  glasses,  and,  with  emotion  which  manifested  the 
reality  of  his  feelings,  said,  *I  have  grown  gray  in  serving  my 
country,  and  now  I  am  going  blind.'  "  '^' 


AGAIN  JN  THE  VNITA'n  STATES  SENATE.  185 

"By  the  aid  of  your  records  you  may  call  before  you  the 
day  when  the  delegation  of  the  army  of  the  democracy  of 
Boston  demanded  com])liance  with  its  requirements  for  the 
removal  of  the  troops.  A  painfully  thrilling  case  will  be  found 
in  the  heroic  conduct  of  your  fathers  friends,  the  patriots  in 
Charleston,  South  Carolina.  The  prisoners  were  put  upon  the 
hulks,  where  the  small-pox  existed,  and  where  they  were 
brought  on  shore  to  stay  the  progress  of  the  infection,  and 
were  offered,  if  they  would  enlist  in  his  Majesty's  service, 
release  from  all  their  sufferings, present  and  prospective;  while, 
if  they  would  not,  the  rations  would  be  taken  from  their  fam- 
ilies, and  they  would  be  sent  back  to  the  hulks  and  again 
exposed  to  the  infection.  Emaciated  as  they  were,  with  the 
prospect  of  being  returned  to  confinement,  and  their  families 
turned  out  into  the  streets,  the  spirit  of  independence,  the  devo- 
tion to  liberty,  was  so  supreme  in  their  breasts  that  they  gave 
one  loud  huzza  for  General  Washington  and  went  to  meet 
death  in  their  loathsome  prison.  From  tliese  glorious  recol- 
lections, from  the  emotions  which  they  create,  when  the  sacri- 
fices of  those  who  gave  you  the  heritage  of  liberty  are  read  in 
your  early  history,  the  eyo  is  directed  to  our  present  condition. 
Mark  the  prosperity,  the  growth,  the  honorable  career  of  your 
country  under  the  voluntary  union  of  independent  States.  I 
do  not  envy  the  heart  of  that  American  whose  pulse  does  not 
beat  quicker,  and  who  does  not  feel  within  him  a  high  exulta- 
tion and  pride,  in  the  past  glory  and  future  prospects  of  his 
country.  With  these  prospects  are  associated — if  we  are  only 
wise,  true,  and  faithful,  if  we  shun  sectional  dissension — all 
that  man  can  conceive  of  the  progression  of  the  American 
people.  And  the  only  danger  which  threatens  those  high 
prospects  is  that  miserable  spirit  which,  disregarding  the  obli- 
gations of  honor,  makes  war  upon  the  ccr~^'*ntion;  which 
induces  men  to  assume  powers  they  do  not  j  ;r:L\ss,  trampling 
as  ^ell  upon  the  great  principles  which  lie  at  th  foundation  of 


186  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  the  constitution  of  the 
Union,  as  upon  the  honorable  obligations  which  were  fixed 
upon  them  by  their  fathers.  They  W'ith  internecine  strife 
would  sacrifice  themselves  and  their  brethren  to  a  spirit  w^hich 
is  a  disgrace  to  our  common  country.  "With  these  views,  it 
will  not  be  surprising,  to  those  who  most  differ  from  me,  that 
I  feel  an  ardent  desire  for  the  success"  of  this  State-rights 
democracy;  that,  convinced  as  I  am  of  the  ill  consequences  of 
the  described  heresies  unless  they  be  corrected;  of  the  evils 
upon  which  they  would  precipitate  the  country  unless  they  are 
restrained — I  say,  none  need  be  surprised  if,  prompted  by  such 
aspirations,  and  impressed  by  such  forebodings  as  now  open 
themselves  before  me,  I  have  spoken  freely,  yielding  to  motives 
I  would  suppress  and  cannot  avoid.  I  have  often,  elsewhere 
than  in  the  State  of  which  I  am  a  citizen,  spoken  in  favor  of 
that  party  which  alone  is  national,  in  w^hich  alone  lies  the 
hope  of  preserving  the  constitution  and  the  perpetuation  of 
the  government  and  of  the  blessings  which  it  was  ordained 
and  established  to  secure. 

"  My  friends,  my  brethren,  my  countrymen,  I  thank  you  for 
the  patient  attention  you  have  given  me.  It  is  the  first  time 
it  has  ever  befallen  me  to  address  an  audience  here.  It  will  pro- 
bably be  the  last.  Residing  in  a  remote  section  of  the  coun- 
try, with  private  as  well  as  public  duties  to  occupy  the  whole 
of  my  time,  it  would  only  be  for  a  very  hurried  visit,  or  under 
some  such  necessity  for  a  restoration  to  health  which  brought 
me  here  this  season,  that  I  could  ever  expect  to  remain  long 
among  you,  or  in  any  other  portion  of  the  Union  than  the 
State  of  whicli  I  am  a  citizen. 

"  I  have  Btaid  long  enough  to  feel  that  generous  hospitality 
which  evinces  itself  to-night,  which  has  evinced  itself  in  Bos- 
ton since  I  have  been  here,  and  showed  itself  in  every  town 
and  village  of  New  England  where  I  have  gone.  I  have  staid 
here,  too,  long  enough  to  learn  that,  though  not  represented  in 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  187 

Congress,  there  is  a  large  mass  of  as  true  democrats  as  are  to 
be  found  in  any  portion  of  the  Union  within  the  limits  of 
New  England.  Their  purposes,  their  construction  of  the  con- 
stitution, their  hopes  for  the  future,  their  respect  for  the  past, 
is  the  same  as  that  wnicli  exists  among  my  beloved  brethren 
in  Mississippi. 

"  In  the  hour  of  apprehension  I  shall  turn  back  to  my 
observations  here,  in  this  consecrated  hall,  where  men  so  early 
devoted  themselves  to  liberty  and  community  independence; 
and  I  shall  endeavor  to  impress  upon  others,  who  know  you 
only  as  you  are  represented  in  the  two  houses  of  Congress,  how 
true  and  how  many  are  the  hearts  that  beat  for  constitutional 
liberty,  and  faitlifully  respect  every  clause  and  guarantee  which 
the  constitution  contains  for  any  and  every  portion  of  the  Union.'* 

His  speech  to  an  immense  democratic  ratification  meeting 
in  New  York,  on  the  19th  of  October,  was  received  with  great 
enthusiasm,  and,  among  other  things,  he  said : 

"  To  each  community  belongs  the  right  to  decide  for  itself 
what  institutions  it  will  have — to  each  people  sovereign  in 
their  own  sphere.  It  belongs  only  to  them  to  decide  what 
shall  be  property.  You  have  decided  it  for  yourselves,  Missis- 
sippi has  done  so.  Who  has  the  right  to  gainsay  it?  [Applause.] 
It  was  the  assertion  of  the  right  of  independence — of  that  very 
right  which  led  your  fathers  into  the  war  of  the  Revolution. 
[Applause.]  It  is  that  which  constitutes  the  doctrine  of  State 
rights,  on  which  it  is  my  pleasure  to  stand.  Congress  has  no 
power  to  determine  what  shall  be  property  anywhere.  Con- 
gress has  only  such  grants  as  are  contained  in  the  constitution* 
and  it  conferred  no  power  to  rule  with  despotic  hands  over  the 
independence  of  the  Territories." 

In  reply  to  an  invitation  to  attend  the  "  Webster  Birthday 
Festival "  in  Boston,  he  wrote  in  January,  1859,  as  follows: 

"At  a  time  when  partisans  avow  the  purpose  to  obliterate 
the  landmarks  of  our  fathers,  and  fanaticisna  assails  the  bar- 


288  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

riers  they  erected  for  the  protection  of  rights  coeval  with  and 
essential  to  tlie  existence  of  the  Union — when  Federal  offices 
have  been  sought  by  inciting  constituencies  to  hostile  aggres- 
sions, and  exercised,  not  as  a  trust  for  the  common  welfare, 
but  as  a  means  of  disturbing  domestic  tranquility — when  oaths 
to  support  tlie  constitution  have  been  taken  with  a  mental 
reservation  to  disregard  its  spirit,  and  subvert  the  purposes  for 
which  it  was  established — surely  it  becomes  all  who  are  faith- 
ful to  the  compact  of  our  Union,  and  who  are  resolved  to 
maintain  and  preserve  it,  to  compare  differences  on  questions 
of  mere  expediency,  and,  forming  deep  around  the  institutions 
we  inherited,  stand  united  to  uphold,  with  unfaltering  intent, 
a  banner  on  which  is  inscribed  the  constitutional  Union  of 
free,  equal,  and  independent  States. 

"May  the  vows  of  'love  and  allegiance,'  which  you  propose 
to  renew  as  a  fitting  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  illustrious 
statesman  whose  birth  you  commemorate,  find  an  echo  in  the 
heart  of  every  patriot  in  our  land,  and  tend  to  the  revival  of 
that  fraternity  which  bore  our  fathers  through  the  Revolution 
to  the  consummation  of  the  independence  they  transmitted  to 
us,  and  the  establishment  of  the  more  perfect  Union  which 
their  wisdom  devised  to  bless  their  posterity  for  ever  I 

"Though  deprived  of  the  pleasure  of  mingling  my  affec- 
tionate memories  and  aspirations  with  yours,  I  send  you  my 
cordial  greeting  to  the  friends  of  the  constitution,  and  ask  to 
be  enrolled  among  those  whose  mission  is,  by  fraternity  and 
good  faith  to  every  constitutional  obligation,  to  insure  that, 
from  the  Aroostook  to  San  Diego,  from  Key  "West  to  Puget's 
Sound,  the  grand  arch  of  our  political  temple  shall  stand  un- 
shaken." 

The  above  extracts  are  sufficient  to  show  the  spirit  and  tem- 
per of  Mr.  Davis  in  these  days  of  political  and  sectional  strife. 
He  was  at  the  same  time  a  very  laborious  worker  on  the  com- 
mittees on  which  he  served  and  in  the  Senate.     He  favored 


AGAIN  IN  TTTE  UNTTED  ST  A  TES  SENATE.  \^*i 

warmly  tlie  Soutlicni  Paciiic  railway,  aivl  opposed  aV:>ly  and 
earnestly  the  "  French  spoliation  bill." 

In  February,  18G0,  he  introduced  in  the  Senate  his  famous 
"States-rights"  resolutions,  and  there  followed  a  debate  of  great 
ability,  and  some  bitterness,  in  which  Douglas  and  Davis  had 
their  great  intellectual  tilt. 

Want  of  space  prevents  the  giving  of  the  entire  debate,  or 
even  the  full  text  of  Mr.  Davis's  great  sj^eech,  and  unanswer- 
able argument,  and  it  seems  best  to  give  simply  his  own  modest 
account  of  it  in  his  ''Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Confederate  Govern- 
ment."    He  says : 

"On  February  2,  1860,  the  author  submitted,  in  the  Senate 
of  the  United  States,  a  series  of  resolutions,  afterwards  slightly 
modified  to  read  as  follows: 

1.  Eesolved,  That,  in  the  adoption  of  the  Federal  constitu- 
tion, the  States,  adopting  the  same,  acted  severally  as  free  and 
independent  sovereignties,  delegating  a  portion  of  their  powers 
to  be  exercised  by  tiie  Federal  government  for  the  increased 
security  of  each  against  dangers,  domestic  as  well  as  foreign ; 
and  that  any  intermeddling  by  any  one  or  more  States,  or  by 
a  combination  of  their  citizens,  with  the  domestic  institutions 
of  the  others,  on  an}''  pretext  whatever,  political,  moral,  or 
religious,  with  the  view  to  their  disturbance  or  subversion,  is 
in  violation  of  the  constitution.  Insulting  to  the  States  so  inter- 
fered with,  endangers  their  domestic  peace  and  tranquilit}^ — 
objects  for  which  the  constitution  was  formed — and,  by  neces- 
sary consequence,  tends  to  weaken  and  destroy  the  Union  itself. 

2.  Resolved,  That  negro  slavery,  as  it  exists  in  fifteen  States 
of  this  Union,  composes  an  important  part  of  their  domestic 
institutions,  inherited  from  our  ancestors,  and  existing  at  the 
adoption  of  the  constitution,  by  which  it  is  recognized  as  con- 
stituting an  important  element  in  the  apportionment  of  powers 
among  the  States,  and  that  no  change  of  opinion  or  feeling  on 
the  part  of  the  non-slaveholding  States  of  the  Union  in  relation 
to  this  institution  can  justify  them  or  their  citizens  in  open  or 
covert  attacks  thereon,  with  a  view  to  its  overthrow;  and  that 
all  such  attacks  are  in  manifest  violation  of  the  mutual  and 
solemn  pledge  to  protect  and  defend  each  other,  given  by  the 


190  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLVMi!. 

States  respectively,  on  entering  into  the  constitutional  compact 
which  formed  the  Union,  and  are  a  manifest  breach  of  faith 
and  a  violation  of  the  most  solemn  obligations. 

3.  Resolved,  That  the  Union  of  these  States  rests  on  the 
equality  of  rights  and  privileges  among  its  members,  and  that 
it  is  especially  the  duty  of  the  Senate,  which  represents  the 
States  in  their  sovereign  capacity,  to  resist  all  attempts  to  dis- 
criminate either  in  relation  to  persons  or  property  in  the  Ter- 
ritories, wdiich  are  the  common  possessions  of  the  United  States, 
so  as  to  give  advantages  to  the  citizens  of  one  State  which  are 
not  equally  assured  to  those  of  every  other  State. 

4.  Resolved,  That  neither  Congress  nor  a  territorial  legis- 
lature, wdi'ether  by  direct  legislation  or  legislation  of  an  indi- 
rect and  unfriendly  character,  possesses  power  to  annul  or 
impair  the  constitutional  right  of  any  citizen  of  the  United 
States  to  take  his  slave  property  into  the  common  territories, 
and  there  hold  and  enjoy  the  same  while  the  territorial  condi- 
tion remains. 

5.  Resolved,  That  if  experience  should  at  any  time  prove 
that  the  judiciary  and  executive  authority  do  not  possess 
means  to  insure  adequate  protection  to  constitutional  rights  in 
a  territory,  and  if  the  territorial  government  shall  fail  or 
refuse  to  provide  the  necessary  remedies  for  that  purpose,  it 
will  be  the  duty  of  Congress  to  supply  such  deficiency.* 

6.  Resolved,  That  the  inhabitants  of  a  territory  of  the 
United  States,  when  they  rightfully  form  a  constitution  to  be 
admitted  as  a  State  into  the  Union,  may  then,  for  the  first 
time,  like  the  people  of  a  State  when  forming  a  new  constitu- 
tion, decide  for  themselves  whether  slavery,  as  a  domestic 
institution,  shall  be  maintained  or  prohibited  within  their 
jurisdiction ;  and  they  shall  be  received  into  the  Union  with 
or  without  slavery,  as  their  constitution  may  prescribe  at  the 
time  of  their  admission. 

7.  Resolved,  That  the  provision  of  the  constitution  for  the 
rendition  of  fugitives  from  service  or  labor,  'without  the  adop- 
tion of  which  the  Union  could  not  have  been  formed,' and  that 
the  laws  of  1793  and  1850,  which  were  enacted  to  secure  its 
execution,  and  the  main  features  of  which,  being  similar,  bear 
the  impress  of  nearly  seventy  years  of  sanction  by  the  highest 

*The  words,  !within  the  limits  of  its  constitutional  powers,  were  subsequently  added  to 
this  resolution,,  on  the  suggestiou  of  Mr.  Tooinbs,  of  Georgia,  with  the  approval  of  the 
morer. 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  191 

judicial  authority,  should  be  honestly  and  faithfully  observed 
and  maintained  by  all  who  enjoy  the  benetits  of  our  compact 
of  union;  and  that  all  acts  of  individuals  or  of  State  legisla- 
tures to  defeat  the  purpose  or  nullify  the  requirements  of  that 
provision,  and  the  laws  made  in  pursuance  of  it,  are  hostile  in 
character,  subversive  of  the  constitution,  and  revolutionary  in 
their  effect.' 

"After  a  protracted  and  earnest  debate,  these  resolutions 
were  adopted  seriatim,  on  the  24th  and  25th  of  May,  by  a 
decided  majority  of  the  Senate  (varying  from  thirty-three  to 
thirty-six  yeas  against  from  two  to  twenty-one  nays),  the 
Democrats,  both  Northern  and  Southern,  sustaining  them  unit- 
edly, with  the  exception  of  one  adverse  vote  (that  of  Mr.  Pugh, 
of  Ohio,)  on  the  fourth  and  sixth  resolutions.  The  Republi- 
cans all  voted  against  them  or  refrained  frem  voting  at  all, 
except  that  Mr.  Teneyck,  of  New  Jersey,  voted  for  the  fifth  and 
seventh  of  the  series.  Mr.  Douglas^  the  leader  if  not  the 
author  of  'popular  sovereignty,'  was  absent  on  account  of 
illness,  and  there  were  a  few  other  absentees. 

"The  conclusion  of  a  speech,  in  reply  to  Mr.  Douglas,  a 
few  days  before  the  vote  was  taken  on  these  resolutions,  is 
introduced  here  as  the  best  evidence  of  the  position  of  the 
author  at  that  period  of  excitement  and  agitation : 

CONCLUSION  OF  REPLY  TO  MR.  DOUGLAS,  MAY  17,  1860. 

^^ Mr.  President:  I  briefly  and  reluctantly  referred,  because 
the  subject  had  been  introduced,  to  the  attitude  of  Mississippi 
on  a  former  occasion.  I  will  now  as  briefly  say  that  in  1851, 
and  in  1860,  Mississippi  was,  and  is,  ready  to  make  every  con- 
cession which  it  becomes  her  to  make  to  the  welfare  and  the 
safety  of  the  Union.  If,  on  a  former  occasion,  she  hoped  too 
much  from  fraternity,  the  responsibility  for  her  disappoint- 
ment rests  upon  those  who  failed  to  fulfil  her  expectations. 
She  still  clings  to  the  government  as  our  fathers  formed  it. 
She  is  ready  to-day  and  ■'.o-morrow,  as  in  her  past  and  though 


192  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

brief  yet  brilliant  history,  to  maintain  that  government  in  all 
its  power,  and  to  vindicate  its  honor  with  all  the  means  she 
possesses.  I  say  brilliant  history;  for  it  was  in  the  very 
morning  of  her  existence  that  her  sons,  on  the  plains  of  New 
Orleans,  were  announced,  in  general  orders,  to  have  been  the 
admiration  of  one  army  and  the  wonder  of  the  other.  That 
we  had  a  division  in  relation  to  the  measures  enacted  in  1850, 
is  trae;  that  the  Southern  rights  men  became  the  minority  in 
the  election  which  resulted  is  true;  but  no  figure  of  speech 
could  warrant  the  senator  in  speaking  of  them  as  subdued — 
as  coming  to  him  or  anybody  else  for  quarter.  I  deemed  it 
offensive  when  it  was  uttered,  and  the  scorn  with  which  I 
repelled  it  at  the  instant,  time  has  only  softened  to  contempt. 
Our  flag  was  never  borne  from  the  field.  We  had  car- 
ried it  in  the  face  of  defeat,  with  a  knowledge  that  defeat 
awaited  it;  but  scarcely  had  the  smoke  of  the  battle  passed 
away  which  proclaimed  another  victor,  before  the  general  voice 
admitted  that  the  field  again  was  ours.  I  have  not  seen  a 
sagacious  reflecting  man,  who  was  cognizant  of  the  events  as 
they  transpired  at  the  time,  who  does  not  say  that,  within  two 
weeks  after  the  election,  our  party  was  in  a  majority;  and  the 
next  election  which  occurred  showed  that  we  possessed  the 
State  beyond  controversy.  How  we  have  wielded  that  power  it 
is  not  for  me  to  say.  I  trust  others  may  see  forbearance  in  our 
conduct — that,  with  a  determination  to  insist  upon  our  consti- 
tutional rights,  then  and  now,  there  is  an  unwavering  desire 
to  maintain  the  government,  and  to  uphold  the  Democratic 
party. 

"We  believe  now,  as  we  have  asserted  on  former  occasions, 
that  the  best  hope  for  the  perpetuity  of  our  institutions  depends 
upon  the  co-operation,  the  harmony,  the  zealous  action,  of  the 
Democratic  party.  We  cling  to  that  party  from  conviction  that 
its  principles  and  its  aims  are  those  of  truth  and  the  country, 
as  we  cling  to  the  Union  for  the  fulfillment  of  the  purposes  for 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  ST  A  TES  SENATE.  193 

which  it  was  formed.  Whenever  we  shall  be  taught  that  the 
Democratic  party  is  recreant  to  its  principles ;  whenever  we 
shall  learn  that  it  cannot  be  relied  upon  to  maintain  the  great 
measures  which  constitute  its  vitality — I  for  one  shall  be  ready 
to  leave  it.  And  so,  -when  we  declare  our  tenacious  adherence 
to  the  Union,  it  is  the-  Union  of  the  constitution.  If  the  com- 
pact bet\|'een  the  States  is  to  be  trampled  into  the  dust;  if 
anarchy  is  to  be  substituted  for  the  usurpation  and  consolida- 
tion which  threatened  the  government  at  an  earlier  period;  if 
the  Union  is  to  become  powerless  for  the  purposes  for  which  it 
was  established,  and  w^o  are  vainly  to  appeal  to  it  for  protec-- 
tion — then,  sir,  conscious  of  the'  rectitude  of  our  course,  the 
justice  of  our  cause,  self-reliant,  yet  humbly,' confidingly  trust- 
ing in  the  arm  that  guided  and  j^rotected  our  fathers,  we  look 
beyond  the  confines  of  the  Union  for  the  maintenance  of  our 
rights.  An  habitual  reverence  and  cherished  affection  for  the 
government  will  bind  us  to  it  longer  than  our  interests  would 
suggest  or  require;  but  he  is  a  poor  student  of  the  world's  his- 
tory who  does  not  understand  that  communities  at  last  must 
yield  to  the  dictates  of  their  interests.  That  the  aff'ection, 
the  mutual  desire  for  the  mutual  good,  which  existed  among 
oui  fathers,  may  be  weakened  in  succeeding  generations  by  the 
denial  of  right,  and  hostile  demonstration,  until  the  equality 
guaranteed  but  not  secured  within  the  Union  may  be  sought 
for  without  it,  must  be  evident  to  even  a  careless  observer  of 
our  race.  It  is  time  to  be  up  and  doing.  There  is  yet  time 
to  remove  the  causes  of  dissension  and  alienation  which  are 
now  distracting,  and  have  for  years  past  divided,  the  country, 
"It  the  senator  correctly  described  me  as  having  at  a  former 
period,  against  my  own  preferences  and  opinions,  acquiesced 
in  the  decision  of  my  party;  if,  when  I  had  youth,  when  J)hysi- 
cal  vigor  gave  promise  of  many  days,  and  the  future  was 
painted  in  the  colors  of  hope,  I  could  thus  surrender  my  own 
convictions,  my  own  prejudices,  and  co-operate  with  my  politi- 
13 


194  THE  DA  VIS  MEMC  RIA  L   VOL  UME. 

cal  friends  according  to  their  views  of  the  best  method  of  pro- 
moting the  public  good — now,  when  tlie  years  of  my  future 
cannot  be  many,  and  experience  has  sobered  the  hopeful  tints 
ot  youth's  gilding;  when,  approaching  the  evening  of  life,  the 
shadows  are  reversed,  and  the  mind  turns  retrospectively,  it  is 
not  to  be  supposed  that  I  would  abandon  lightly,  or  idly  put 
on  trial,  the  party  to  which  I  have  steadily  adhered.  It  is 
rather  to  be  assumed  that  conservatism,  which  belongs  to  the 
timidity  or  caution  of  increasing  years,  would  lead  me  to  cling 
to,  to  be  su|)ported  by,  rather  than  to  cast  off,  the  organization 
with  which  I  have  been  so  long  connected.  If  I  am  driven  to 
consider  the  necessity  of  separating  myself  from  those  old  and 
dear  relations,  of  discarding  the  accustomed  support,  under 
circumstances  such  as  I  have  described,  might  not  my  friends 
who  differ  from  me  pause  and  inquire  whether  there  is  not 
something  involved  in  it  which  calls  for  their  careful  revision? 

"  I  desire  no  divided  flag  for  the  Democratic  party. 

"  Our  principles  are  national ;  they  belong  to  every  State  of 
the  Union;  and,  though  elections  may  be  lost  by  their  asser- 
tion, they  constitute  the  only  foundation  on  which  we  can 
maintain  power,  on  which  we  can  again  rise  to  the  dignity  the 
Democracy  once  possessed.  Does  not  the  senator  from  Illinois 
see  in  the  sectional  character  of  the  vote  he  received,*  that  his 
opinions  are  not  acceptable  to  every  portion  of  the  country? 
Is  not  the  fact  that  the  resolutions  adopted  by  seventeen  States, 
on  which  the  greatest  reliance  must  be  placed  for  Democratic 
support,  are  in  opposition  to  the  dogma  to  which  he  still 
clings,  a  warning  that,  if  he  persists  and  succeeds  in  forcing 
his  theory  upon  the  Democratic  party,  its  days  are  num- 
bered ?  We  ask  only  for  the  constitution.  We  ask  of  the 
Democracy  only  from  time  to  time  to  declare,  as  current 
exigencies  may  indicate,  what  the  constitution  was  intended 
to   secure   and    provide.      Our   flag    bears   no   new    device. 

*  in  the  Democratic  Convention,  whicli  had  been  recently  held  in  Charleston. 


AGAIN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE.  195 

Upon  its  folds  our  principles  are  written  in  living  light;  all 
proclaiming  the  constitutional  Union,  justice,  equality,  and 
fraternity  of  our  ocean-bound  domain,  for  a  limitless  future." 

Mr.  Davis  had  been  frequently  spoken  of  in  connection 
with  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States,  and  at  the  meeting 
of  the  Democratic  convention  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  in  May, 
18G0,  he  had  received  a  large  vote  for  the  nomination — PJon. 
Benjamin  F.  Butler,  of  Massachusetts,  voting  for  him  on  189 
ballots — but  he  had  not  sought,  and  did  not  desire  the  nomi- 
nation 

He  sided  with  the  section  of  his  party  which  nominated 
Breckinridge,  but  earnestly  sought  to  reconcile  the  conflicting 
elements,  and,  had  gotten,  by  his  personal  solicitation,  both 
Breckinridge  and  Bell  to  agree  to  withdraw  from  the  canvass 
on  condition  that  Douglas  would  do  the  same,  and  the  three 
elements  could  unite  on  a  candidate  who  could  successfully 
oppose  the  sectional  candidate  of  the  Republicans — Abraham 
Lincoln,  of  Illinois.  But  Mr.  Douglas  absolutely  refused  to 
withdraw,  the  four  candidates  remained  in  the  field,  and  the 
apprehensions  of  Mr.  Davis  were  realized  in  the  election  of 
Lincoln  by  a  plurality  of  the  electoral  vote,  though  by  only 
about  one-iliird  of  the  popular  vote. 


XII. 

EFFORTS  TO  PRESERVE  THE  UNION, 

It  lias  loug  been  tlie  custom  of  Northern  writers  to  talk  flip- 
pantly about  the  "secession  conspirators,"  and  to  denounce 
Southern  Leaders,  and  especially  Mr.  Davis,  as  secretly  ** plot- 
ting to  destroy  the  Union,"  because  of  failure  to  carry  out  their 
own  ambitious  ends,  and  the  "Slaveholders'  Rebellion"  is  held 
up  to  eternal  execration  as  a  wicked  attempt  to  "destroy  the 
life  of  the  Nation." 

Never  was  there  a  more  unjustifiable  attempt  to  falsify  the 
truth  of  history,  and  to  shift  the  responsibility  of  the  war  from 
those  who  were  really  tlie  guilty  parties  to  those  who  did  all  in 
ti  eir  power  to  avert  it. 

No  man  ever  loved  the  "Union  of  the  Fathers"  more  devo- 
tedly than  Jefferson  Davis — no  man  ever  strove  more  earnestly 
than  he  to  prevent  its  dissolution.  And  when  all  hope  had 
fled  and  he  followed  his  Sovereign  State  in  the  exercise  of  her 
constitutional  right  of  Secession,  and  was  called  to  be  the 
President  of  the  Confederacy,  he  did  everything  in  his  power 
to  avert  war,  stood  purely  on  the  defensive,  and  made  as  purely 
a  defensive  fight  for  sacred  principles  and  rights  as  tlie  world 
ever  saw,  or  the  pen  of  the  historian  ever  recorded. 

But  before  giving  the  details  of  his  efforts  to  avert  threat- 
ened disunion  and  war,  let  us  look  at  an  admirable  summary 
of  the  events  that  led  up  to  the  catastrophe,  which  he  gives  in 
the  seventh  chapter  of  his  great  book- — "  The  Rise  and  Fall  oi 
the  Confederate  Government." 

1196J 


EFFOBTS  TO  PRESER  VE  THE  UNION.  1S7 

We  quote  in  full  as  follows : 

"When,  at  the  close  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  each  of 
the  thirteen  colonies  that  had  been  engaged  in  that  contest 
was  severally  acknowledged  by  the  mother-country,  Great 
Britain,  to  be  a  free  and  independent  State,  the  confederation 
of  those  States  embraced  an  area  so  extensive,  with  climate  and 
l)roducts  so  various,  that  rivalries  and  conflicts  of  interest  soon 
began  to  be  manifested.  It  required  all  the  power  of  wisdom 
and  patriotism,  animated  by  the  affection  engendered  by  com- 
mon sufferings  and  dangers,  to  keep  these  rivalries  under 
restraint,  and  to  effect  those  compromises  which  it  was  fondly 
hoped  would  insure  the  harmony  and  mutual  good  offices  of 
each  for  the  benefit  of  all.  It  was  in  this,  spirit  of  jiatriotism 
and  confidence  in  the  continuance  of  such  abiding  good  will 
as  would  for  all  time  j)reclude  hostile  aggression,  that  A-'irginia 
ceded,  for  the  use  of  the  confederated  States,  all  the  vast 
extent  of  territory  lying  north  of  the  Ohio  river,  out  of  which 
have  since  been  formed  five  States  and  part  of  a  sixth.  The 
addition  of  these  States  has  accrued  entirely  to  the  preponder- 
ance of  the  Northern  section  over  that  from  which  the  dona- 
tion proceeded,  and  to  the  disturbance  of  the  equilibrium 
which  existed  at  the  close  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution. 

"It  may  not  be  out  of  place  here  to  refer  to  the  fact  that  the 
grievances  which  led  to  that  war  were  directly  inflicted  upon  the 
Northern  colonies.  Those  of  the  South  had  no  material  cause 
of  complaint;  but,  actuated  by  sympathy  for  their  Northern 
brethren,  and  devotion  to  the  principles  of  civil  liberty  and 
community  independence,  which  they  had  inherited  from  their 
Anglo-Saxon  ancestry,  and  which  were  set  forth  in  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  they  made  common  cause  with 
their  neighbors,  and  may,  at  least,  claim  to  have  done  their 
full  share  iii  the  war  that  ensued. 

"By  the  exclusion  of  the  South,  in  1820,  from  all  that  part 
of  the  Louisiana  purchase  lying  north  of  the  parallel  of  thirty- 


198  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

six  degrees  thirty  minutes,  and  not  included  in  the  State  of 
Missouri;  by  the  extension  of  that  line  of  exclusion  to  em- 
brace the  territory  acquired  from  Texas;  and  by  the  appro- 
priation of  all  the  territory  obtained  from  Mexico  under  the 
Treaty  of  Guadalupe  Hidalgo,  both  north  and  south  of  that 
line,  it  may  be  stated  with  approximate  accuracy  that  the 
North  had  monopolized  to  herself  more  than  three-fourths  of 
all  that  had  been  added  to  the  domain  of  the  United  States 
since  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  This  inequality,  which 
began,  as  has  been  shown,  in  the  more  generous  than  wise  con- 
fidence of  the  South,  was  employed  to  obtain  for  the  North 
the  lion's  share  of  what  was  afterward  added  at  the  cost  of  the 
public  treasure  and  the  blood  of  patriots.  I  do  not  care  to 
estimate  the  relative  proportion  contributed  by  each  of  the 
two  sections. 

"  Nor  was  this  the  only  cause  that  operated  to  disappoint  the 
reasonable  hopes  and  to  blight  the  fair  prospects  under  which 
the  original  compact  was  formed.  The  effects  of  discriminat- 
ing duties  upon  imports  have  been  referred  to  in  a  former 
chapter — favoring  the  manufacturing  region,  which  was  the 
North;  burdening  the  exporting  region,  which  was  the  South; 
and  so  imposing  upon  the  latter  a  double  tax;  one,  by  the 
increased  price  of  articles  of  consumption,  which,  so  far  as 
they  were  of  home  production,  went  into  the  pockets  of  the 
manufacturer;  the  other,  by  the  diminished  value  of  articles 
of  export,  which  was  so  much  withheld  from  the  pockets  of 
the  agriculturist.  In  like  manner  the  power  of  the  majority 
section  was  employed  to  appropriate  to  itself  an  unequal  share 
of  the  public  disbursements.  These  combined  causes — the 
possession  of  more  territory,  more  money,  and  a  wider  field  for 
the  employment  of  special  labor — all  served  to  attract  immi- 
gration; and,  with  increasing  population,  the  greed  grew  by 
what  it  fed  on. 


EFFORTS  TO  PRESERVE  THE  UNION.  199 

"  This  became  distinctly  manifest  when  the  so-called '  Repub- 
lican' convention  assembled  in  Chicago,  on  May  IG,  18G0,  to 
nominate  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency.  It  was  a  purely  sec- 
tional body.  There  were  a  few  delegates  present,  representing 
an  insignificant  minority  in  the  'border  States,'  Delaware, 
Maryland,  Virginia,  Kentucky,  and  Missouri;  but  not  one 
from  any  State  south  of  the  celebrated  political  line  of  thirty- 
six  degrees  thirty  minutes.  It  had  been  the  invariable  usage 
with  nominating  conventions  of  all  parties  to  select  candidates 
for  the  Presidency  and  Vice-Presidency,  one  from  the  North 
and  the  other  from  the  South;  but  this  assemblage  nominated 
Mr.  Lincoln,  of  Illinois,  for  thefirst  office,  and  for  the  second, 
Mr.  Hamlin,  of  Maine — both  Northerners.  Mr.  Lincoln,  its 
nominee  for  the  Presidency,  had  publicly  announced  that  the 
Union  'could  not  permanently  endure,  half  slave  and  half 
free.'  The  resolutions  adopted  contained  S(  me  carefully 
worded  declarations,  well  adapted  to  deceive  the  credulous 
who  were  opposed  to  hostile  aggressions  upon  iho  rights  of  the 
States.  In  order  to  accomplish  this  purpuse,  tliey  were  com- 
pelled to  create  a  fictitious  issue,  in  denouncing  what  they 
described  as  'the  new  dogma  that  the  constitution,  of  its  own 
force,  carries  slavery  into  any  or  all  of  the  Territorries  of  the 
"United  States' — a  'dogma'  which  had  never  been  held  or 
declared  by  anybody,  and  which  had  no  existence  outside  of 
their  own  assertion.  There  was  enough  in  connection  with 
the  nomination  to  assure  the  most  fanatical  foes  of  the  consti- 
tution that  their  ideas  would  be  the  rule  and  guide  of  the  party. 

"  Meantime,  the  Democratic  party  had  held  a  convention, 
composed,  as  usual,  of  delegates  from  all  the  States.  They 
met  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  on  April  23d,  but  an 
unfortunate  disagreement  with  regard  to  the  declaration  of 
principles  to  be  set  forth  rendered  a  nomination  impractica- 
ble. Both  divisions  of  the  convention  adjourned,  and  met 
again   in  Baltimore  in  June.     Then,  having  finally  failed  to 


200  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

come  to  an  agreement,  they  separated  and  made  their  respec- 
tive nominations  apart.  Mr.  Douglas,  of  Illinois,  was  nomi- 
nated by  the  friends  of  the  doctrine  of  'popular  sovereignty,' 
with  Mr.  Fritzpatrick,  of  Alabama,  for  the  Vice-Presidency. 
Both  these  gentlemen  at  that  time  were  senators  from  their 
respective  States.  Mr.  Fritzpatrick  promptly  declined  the 
nomination,  and  his  place  was  filled  with  the  name  of  Mr. 
Herschel  V.  Johnson,  a  distinguished  citizen  of  Georgia. 

"The  convention  representing  the  conservative,  or  State- 
Eights,  wing  of  the  Democratic  party  (the  President  of  which 
was  the  Honorable  Caleb  Gushing,  of  Massachusetts),  on  the 
first  ballot,  unanimously  made  choice  of  John  C.  Breckin- 
ridge, of  Kentucky,  then  Vice-President  of  the  United  States, 
for  the  first  office,  and  with  like  unanimity  selected  General 
Joseph  Lane,  then  a  senator  from  Oregon,  for  the  second. 
The  resolutions  of  each  of  these  two  conventions  denounced  the 
action  and  policy  of  the  abolition  party,  as  subversive  of  the 
constitution  and  revolutionary  in  their  tendency. 

"  Another  convention  was  held  in  Baltimore  about  the  same 
period*  by  those  who  still  adhered  to  the  old  Whig  party, 
re-enforced  by  the  remains  of  the  'American'  organization,  and 
perhaps  some  others.  This  convention  also  consisted  of  dele- 
gates from  all  the  States,  and  repudiating  all  geographical  and 
sectional  issues,  and  declaring  it  to  be  'both  the  part  of  patri- 
otism and  of  duty  to  recognize  no  political  principle  other  than 
the  constitntion  of  the  country,  the  Union  of  the  States,  and 
the  enforcement  of  the  laws,'  pledged  itself  and  its  supporters 
*  to  maintain,  protect,  and  defend,  separately  and  unitedly, 
those  great  principles  of  public  liberty  and  national  safety 
against  all  enemies  at  home  and  abroad."  Its  nominees  were 
Messrs.  John  Bell,  of  Tennessee,  and  Edward  Everett,  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, both  of  whom  had  long  been  distinguished  mem- 
bers of  the  Whig  party. 

*May  19, 1S60. 


EFFORTS  TO  PRESERVE  THE  UNION.  201 

"The  people  of  the  United  States  now  had  four  rival  tickets 
presented  to  them  by  as  many  contending  parties,  whose 
respective  position  and  principles  on  the  great  and  absorbing 
question  at  issue  may  be  briefly  recapitulated  as  follows: 

"1.  The  'Constitutional-Union'  party, as  it  was  now  termed, 
led  by  Messrs.  Bell  and  Everett,  which  ignored  the  territorial 
controversy  altogether,  and  contented  itself,  as  above  stated, 
with  a  simple  declaration  of  adherence  to  'the  constitution,  the 
Union,  and  the  enforcement  of  the  laws.' 

"  2.  The  party  of  'popular  sovereignty,'  headed  by  Douglas 
and  Johnson,  who  affirmed  the  right  of  the  people  of  the  ter- 
ritories, in  their  territorial  condition,  to  determine  their  own 
organic  institutions,  independently  of  the  control  of  Congress 
denying  the  power  or  duty  of  Congress  1o  protect  the  persons 
or  property  of  individuals  or  minorities  in  such  territories 
against  the  action  of  majorities. 

"3.  The  State-rights  party,  supporting  Breckinridge  and 
Lane,  who  held  that  the  Territories  were  open  to  citizens  of  all 
the  States,  with  their  property,  without  any  inequality  or  dis- 
crimination, and  that  it  was  the  duty  of  the  general  govern- 
ment to  protect  both  persons  and  property  from  aggression  in 
the  Territories  subject  to  its  control.  At  the  same  time  they 
admitted  and  asserted  the  right  of  the  people  of  a  Territory, 
on  emerging  from  tlieir  territorial  condition  to  that  of  a  State, 
to  determine  what  should  then  be  their  domestic  institutions, 
as  well  as  all  other  questions  'of  personal  or  proprietary  right, 
without  interference  by  Congress,  and  subject  only  to  the  limi- 
tations and  restrictions  prescribed  by  the  constitution  of  the 
United  States. 

"4.  The  so-called  'Republicans,'  presenting  the  names  of 
Lincoln  and  Hamlin,  who  held,  in  the  language  of  one  of  their 
leaders,*  that  'slavery  can  exist  onl}'-  by  virtue  of  municipal 
law';  that  there  was  'no  law  for  it  in  the  Territories,  and  no 

*  Horace  Greeley,  "  The  American  Conflict,"  yol.  i,  p.  322. 


202  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

power  to  enact  one";  and  that  Congress  was  'bound  to  pro- 
hibit it  in  or  exclude  it  from  any  and  every  Federal  Territory.' 
In  other  words,  they  asserted  the  right  and  duty  of  Congress 
to  exclude  the  citizens  of  half  the  States  of  the  Union  from  the 
territory  belonging  in  common  to  all,  unless  on  condition  of 
the  sacrifice  or  abandonment  of  their  property  recognized  by 
the  constitution — indeed,  of  the  only  species  of  their  property 
distinctly  and  specifically  recognized  as  such  by  that  instru- 
ment. 

"On  the  vital  question  underlying  the  whole  controversy — 
that  is,  whether  the  Federal  government  should  be  a  govern- 
ment of  the  whole  for  the  benefit  of  all  its  equal  members,  or 
(if  it  should  continue  to  exist  at  all)  a  sectional  government 
for  the  benefit  of  a  part — the  first  three  of  the  parties  above 
described  were  in  substantial  accord  as  against  the  fourth.  If 
they  could  or  would  have  acted  unitedly,  they  could  certainly 
have  carried  the  election,  and  averted  the  catastrophe  which 
followed.     Nor  were  efforts  wanting  to  effect  such  a  union. 

''Mr.  Bell,  the  Whig  candidate,  w^as  a  highly  respectable  and 
experienced  statesman,  who  had  filled  many  important  offices 
both  State  and  Federal.  He  was  not  ambitious  to  the  extent  of 
coveting  the  Presidency,  and  he  was  profoundly  impressed  by 
the  danger  which  threatened  the  country.  Mr.  Breckenridge 
had  not  anticipated,  and  it  may  safely  be  said  did  not  eagerly 
desire,  the  nomination.  He  was  young  enough  to  wait,  and 
patriotic  enough  to  be  willing  to  do  so,  if  the  weal  of  the  coun- 
try required  it.  Thus  much  I  may  confidently  assert  of  both 
those  gentlemen;  for  each  of  them  authorized  me  to  say  that  he 
was  willing  to  withdraw,  if  an  arrangem-ent  could  be  affected 
by  which  the  divided  forces  of  the  friends  of  the  constitution 
could  be  concentrated  upon  some  one  more  generally  acceptable 
than  either  of  the  three  who  had  been  presented  to  the  country. 
"When  I  made  this  announcement  to  Mr.  Douglas — with  whom 
my  relations  had  always  been  such  as  to  authorize  the  assurance 


EFFORTS  TO  PRESERVE  THE  I'NION.  203 

that  h©  could  not  consider  it  as  made  in  an  unfriendly  spirit — -, 
he  replied  that  the  scheme  proposed  was  impracticable,  because 
his  friends,  mainly  Northern  Democrats,  if  he  were  withdrawn, 
would  join  in  the  support  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  rather  than  of  any 
one  that  should  supplant  hmi  (Douglas);  that  he  was  in  the 
hands  of  bis  friends,  and  was  sure  they  would  not  accept  the 
proposition. 

"It  needed  but  little  knowledge  of  the  sto^ws  of  parties  in  the 
several  States  to  foresee  a  probable  defeat  if  the  conservatives 
were  to  continue  divided  into  three  parts,  and  the  aggressives 
were  to  be  held  in  solid  column.  But  angry  passions,  which 
are  always  bad  counsellors,  had-been  aroused,  and  hopes  were 
still  cherished,  which  proved  to  be  illusory.  The  result  was 
the  election,  by  a  minority,  of  a  President  whose  avowed  prin- 
ciples were  necessarilv  fatal  to  the  harmony  of  the  Union. 

"  Of  303  electoral  votes,  Mr.  Lincoln  received  ISO,  but  of  the 
popular  suffrage  of  4,676,853  votes,  which  the  electors  repre- 
s-ented,  he  obtained  only  1,866,352 — something  over  a  third  of 
the  votes.  This  discrepancy  was  owing  to  the  system  of  voting 
by  'general  ticket' — that  is,  casting  the  State  votes  as  a  unit, 
whether  unanimous  or  nearly  equally  divided.  Thus,  in  New 
York,  the  total  popular  vote  was  675,156,  of  which  362,646 
were  cast  for  the  so-called  Republican  (or  Lincoln)  electors,  and 
312,510  against  them.  New  York  was  entitled  to  35  electoral 
votes.  Divided  on  the  basis  of  the  popular  vote,  19  of  these 
would  have  been  cast  for  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  16  against  him. 
But  under  the  'general  ticket'  system  the  entire  35  votes  were 
cast  for  the  Republican  candidates,  thus  giving  them  not  only 
the  full  strength  of  the  majorit}^  in  their  favor,  but  that  of  the 
great  minority  against  them  superadded.  So  of  other  Northern 
States,  in  which  the  small  majorities  on  one  side  operated  with 
the  weight  of  entire  unanimity,  while  the  virtual  unanimity 
in  the  Southern  States,  on  the  other  side,  counted  nothing 
more  than  a  mere  majority  would  have  done. 


204  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

"The  manifestations  which  followed  this  result,  in  the  South- 
ern States,  did  not  proceed,  as  has  been  unjustly  charged,  from 
chagrin  at  their  defeat  in  the  election,  or  from  any  personal 
hostility  to  the  President-elect,  but  from  the  fact  that  they 
recognized  in  him  the  representative  of  a  party  professing  prin- 
ciples destructive  to  'their  peace,  their  prosperity,  and  their 
domestic  tranquility,'  The  long-suppressed  fire  burst  into 
frequent  flame,  but  it  was  still  controlled  by  that  love  of  the 
Union  which  the  South  had  illustrated  on  every  battle-field, 
from  Boston  to  New  Orleans.  Still  it  was  hoped,  against  hope, 
that  some  adjustment  might  be  made  to  avert  the  calamities  of 
a  practical  application  of  the  theory  of  an  'irrepressible  conflict.' 
Few,  if  any,  then  doubted  the  right  of  a  State  to  withdraw  its 
grants  delegated  to  the  Federal  government,  or,  in  other  words, 
to  secede  from  the  Union ;  but  in  the  South  it  was  generally 
regarded  as  the  remedy  of  last  resort,  to  be  applied  only  when 
ruin  or  dishonor  was  the  alternative.  No  rash  or  revolution- 
ary xiction  was  taken  by  the  Southern  States,  but  the  measures 
adopted  were  considerate,  and  executed  advisedly  and  delibe- 
rately. The  Presidential  election  occurred  (as  far  as  the 
popular  vote,  which  determined  the  result,  was  concerned)  in 
November,  1860.  Most  of  the  State  legislatures  convened 
soon  afterward  in  regular  session.  In  some  cases  special  ses- 
sions were  convoked  for  the  purpose  of  calling  State  Conven- 
tions— the  recognized  representatives  of  the  sovereign  will  of 
the  people — to  be  elected  expressly  for  the  purpose  of  taking 
such  action  as  should  be  considered  needful  and  proper  under 
the  existing  circumstances 

"These  conventions,  as  it  was  always  held  and  understood, 
possessed  all  the  power  of  the  people  assembled  in  mass;  and 
therefore  it  was  conceded  that  they,  and  they  only,  could  take 
action  for  the  withdrawal  of  a  State  from  the  Union.  The  con- 
sent of  the  respective  States  to  the  formation  of  the  Union  had 
been  giving  through  such  conventions,  and  it  was  only  by  the 


EFFOBIS  TO  PRESERVE  THE  UN  JON.'  205 

same  authority  that  it  could  properly  he  revoked.  The  time 
required  for  this  deliberate  and  formal  2:)rocess  precludes  the 
idea  of  hasty  or  passionate  action,  and  none  who  admit  the  pri- 
mary power  of  the  j:)eople  to  govern  themselves  can  consistently 
deny  its  validity  and  binding  obligation  upon  every  citizen  of 
the  several  States.  Not  only  was  there  ample  time  for  calm 
consideration  among  the  people  of  the  South,  but  for  due  reflec- 
tion by  the  general  government  and  thepeo2jleof  the  Northern 
States. 

"President  Buchanan  was  in  the  last  year  of  his  administra- 
tion. His  freedom  from  sectional  asperity,  his  long  life  in  the 
public  service  and  his  peace-loving  and  conciliatory  character, 
were  all  guarantees  against  his  precipitating  a  conflict  between 
the  Federal  government  and  any  of  the  States;  but  the  feeble 
power  that  he  possessed  in  the  closing  months  of  his  term  to 
mold  the  policy  of  the  future  was  painfully  evident.  Like  all 
who  had  intelligently  and  impartially  studied  the  history  of 
the  formation  of  the  constitution,  he  held  that  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment had  no  rightful  power  to  coerce  a  State.  Like  the  sages 
and  patriots  who  preceded  him  in  the  high  office  that  he 
filled,  he  believed  that  'our  Union  rests  upon  public  opinion, 
and  can  never  be  cemented  by  the  blood  of  its  citizens  shed  in 
civil  war  If  it  cannot  live  in  the  affections  of  the  people,  it 
nmst  one  day  perish.  Congress  may  possess  many  means  of 
preserving  it  by  conciliation,  but  the  sword  was  not  placed 
in  their  hand  to  preserve  it  by  force.' — (Message  of  December 
3,  ISGO.) 

"Ten  years  before,  Mr.  Calhoun,  addressing  the  Senate  with 
all  the  earnestness  of  his  nature,  and  with  that  sincere  desire 
to  avert  the  danger  of  disunion  which  those  who  knew  him 
best  never  doubted,  had  asked  the  emphatic  question,  LIow 
can  the  Union  be  saved?'     He  answered  his  question  thus 

"  'There  is  but  one  way  by  which  it  can  be  [saved]  with  any 
certainty;  and  that  is  by  a  full  and  final  settlement,  on  the 


206  TB.E  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

principles  of  justice,  of  all  the  questions  at  issue  between  the 
sections.  The  South  asks  for  justice — simple  justice — and  less 
she  ought  not  to  take.  She  has  no  compromise  to  ofler  but 
the  constitution,  and  no  concession  or  surrender  to  make. 

"'Can  this  be  done?  Yes,  easily .  Not  by  the  weaker 
party ;  for  it  can  of  itself  do  nothing — not  even  protect  itself  — 
but  by  the  stronger.  But  will  the  North  agree  to  this  ?  It  is 
for  her  to  answer  this  question.  But,  I  will  say,  she  cannot 
refuse  if  she  has  half  the  love  of  the  Union  which  she  professes 
to  have,  nor  without  exposing  herself  to  the  charge  that  her 
love  of  power  and  aggrandizement  is  far  greater  than  her  love 
of  the  Union.' 

"  During  the  ten  j^ears  that  intervened  between  the  date  of 
this  sj^eech  and  the  message  of  Mr.  Buchanan  cited  above,  the 
progress  of  sectional  discord  and  the  tendency  of  the  stronger 
section  to  unconstitutional  aggression  had  been  fearfully  rapid. 
AVith  very  rare  exceptions,  there  were  none  in  1850  who  claimed 
the  right  of  the  Federal  government  to  apply  coercion  to  a 
State.  In  1860  men  had  grown  to  be  familiar  with  threats  of 
driving  the  South  into  submission  to  any  act  that  the  govern- 
ment, in  the  hands  of  a  Northern  majority,  might  see  fit 
to  perform.  During  the  canvass  of  that  year,  demonstrations 
had  been  made  by  ^'uasi- military  organizations  in  various  parts 
of  the  North,  which  looked  unmistakably  to  purposes  widely 
different  from  those  enunciated  in  the  p^^eamble  to  the  consti- 
tution, and  to  the  employment  of  means  not  authorized  by 
the  powers  which  the  States  had  delegated  to  the  Federal 
government. 

"  Well-informed  men  still  remembered  that,  in  the  conven- 
tion which  framed  the  constitution,  a  proposition  was  made  to 
authorize  the  employment  of  force  against  a  delinquent  State, 
on  which  Mr.  Madison  remarked  that  '  the  use  of  force  against ' 
a  State  would  look  more  like  a  declaration  of  war  than  an 
infliction  of  punishment,  and  would  probably  be  considered  by 


EFFORTS  TO  PRESERVE  THE  UNION.  207 

the  party  attacked  as  a  dissolution  of  all  previous  compacts  by 
•which  it  might  have  been  bound,*  The  convention  expressly 
refused  to  confer  the  power  proposed,  and  the  clause  was  lost. 
While,  therefore,  in  1860,  many  violent  men,  appealing  to 
passion  and  the  lust  of  power,  were  inciting  the  multitude, 
and  preparing  Northern  opinion  to  support  a  war  waged 
against  the  Southern  States  in  the  event  of  their  secession,  there 
were  others  who  took  a  different  view  of  the  case.  Notable  among 
such  was  the  New  York  Tribune  which  had  been  the  organ 
of  the  abolitionists,  and  which  now  declared  tliat,  *  if  the 
cotton  States  wished  to  withdraw  from  the  Union,  they  should 
be  allowed  to  do  so';  that  'any  attempt  to  compel  them  to 
remain,  by  force,  would  be  contrary  to  the  principles  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  and  to  the  fundamental  ideas 
upon  which  human  liberty  is  based';  and  that,  'if  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  justified  the  secession  from  the 
British  Empire  of  three  millions  of  subjects  in  1776,  it  was 
not  seen  why  it  would  not  justify  the  secession  of  five 
millions  of  Southerners  from  the  Union  in  1861/  Again,  it 
was  said  by  the  same  journal  that,  'sooner  than  compromise 
with  the  South  and  abandon  the  Chicago  platform,*  they 
would  'let  the  Union  slide/  Taunting  expressions  were 
freely  used — as,  for  example,  'If  the  Southern  people  wish  to 
leave  the  Union,  we  will  do  our  best  to  forward  their  views.' 

"  All  this,  it  must  be  admitted,  was  quite  consistent  with  the 
oft-repeated  declaration  that  the  constitution  was  a  '  covenant 
with  hell,'  which  stood  as  the  caption  of  a  leading  abolitionist 
paper  of  Boston.  That  signs  of  coming  danger  so  visible, 
evidences  of  hostility  so  unmistakable,  disregard  of  constitu- 
tional obligations  so  wanton,  taunts  and  jeers  so  bitter  and 
insulting,  should  serve  to  increase  excitement  in  the  South,  was 
a  consequence  flowing  as  much  from  reason  and  patriotism  as 
from  sentiment.  He  must  have  been  ignorant  of  human 
nature  who  did  not  expect  such  a  tree  to  bear  fruits  of  discord 
and  division." 


208  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

As  further  illustrating  the  views  of  Mr.  Davis  during  this 
great  crisis,  we  quote  a  letter  which  he  wrote  under  date  of 
November  10th,  1860,  just  after  the  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln, 

Hon.  R.  B.  Rhett,  Jr.,  was  one  of  the  ablest  secession 
leaders  of  South  Carolina,  and  belonged  to  the  ultra  wing 
which  favored  immediate  and  separate  State  action  on  the  elec- 
tion of  Mr.  Lincoln.  The  reply  of  Mr.  Davis  is  the  more  sig- 
nificant, because,  while  intended  as  a  private  letter  and  with 
no  expectation  of  its  ever  meeting  the  public  eye,  he  not  only- 
does  not  take  the  ultra  position  that  has  been  attributed  to 
him,  but  counsels  the  more  conservative  course  of  a  conven- 
tion of  the  Southern  States  to  consider  the  situation,  and  deter- 
mine what  would  be  the  wisest  action  for  them  to  take.  But 
the  letter  explains  itself,  and  is  as  follows: 

Warren  County,  Miss.,  Nov.  10,  1860. 
Hon.  R.  B.  Rhett,  Jr.: 

Dear  Sir — I  had  the  honor  to  receive,  last  night,  yours  of 
the  27th  ultimo,  and  hasten  to  reply  to  the  inquiries  propoun- 
ded. Reports  of  the  election  leave  little  doubt  that  the  event 
you  anticipated  has  occurred,  that  electors  have  been  chosen, 
securing  the  election  of  Lincoln,  and  I  will  answer  on  that 
supposition. 

My  home  is  so  isolated  that  I  have  had  no  intercourse  with 
those  who  might  have  aided  me  in  forming  an  opinion  as 
to  the  effect  produced  on  the  mind  of  our  people  by  the  result 
ol  the  recent  election,  and  the  impressions  which  I  commun- 
icate are  founded  upon  antecedent  expressions. 

1  I  doubt  not  that  the  governor  of  Mississippi  has  convoked 
tlie  legislature  to  assemble  within  the  present  month  to  decide 
upon  the  course  which  the  State  should  adopt  in  the  present 
emergency.  Whether  the  legislature  will  direct  the  call  of  a 
convention  of  the  State,  or  appoint  delegates  to  a  convention  of 
such  Southern  States  as  may  be  willing  to  consult  together  for 
the  adoption  of  a  Southern  plan  of  action,  is  doubtful. 

2.  If  a  convention  of  the  State  were  assembled,  the  propo- 
sition to  secede  from  the  Union,  independently  of  support  from 
neighboring  States,  would  probably  fail. 


EFFOIiTS  TO  Pr.ESEEVE  THE  UNION.  200 

3.  If  South  Carolina  sliould  first  secede,  and  she  alone  should 
take  such  action,  the  position  of -^Mississippi  would  not  probably 
be  changed  by  that  fact.  A  powerful  obstacle  to  the  separate 
action  of  ]\Iississippi  is  the  want  of  a  port;  from  which  follows 
the  consequence  that  her  trade,  being  still  conducted  through 
the  ports  of  the  Union,  her  revenue  would  be  diverted  from 
her  own  support  to  that  of  a  foreign  government;  and  being 
geographically  unconnected  with  South  Carolina,  an  alliance 
with  her  would  not  vary  that  state  of  the  case.     [.S/c] 

4.  The  propriety  of  separate  secession  by  South  Carolina 
depends  so  much  upon  collateral  questions  that  I  find  it  difii- 
cult  to  respond  to  your  last  inquiry,  for  the  want  of  knowledge 
which  would  enable  me  to  estimate  the  value  of  the  elements 
involved  in  the  issue,  though  exterior  to  your  State.  Georgia 
is  necessary  to  connect  you  with  Alabama,  and  thus  to  make 
effectual  the  cooperation  of  JMississippi.  If  Georgia  would  be 
lost  by  immediate  action,  but  -could  be  gained  by  delay,  it 
seems  clear  to  me  that  you  should  wait.  If  the  secession  of 
South  Carolina  should  be  followed  by  an  attempt  to  coerce  her 
back  into  the  Union,  that  act  of  usurpation,  folly,  and  wicked- 
ness would  enlist  every  true  Southern  man  for  her  defense. 
If  it  were  attempted  to  blockade  her  ports  and  destroy  her 
trade,  a  like  result  would  be  produced,  and  the  commercial 
world  would  probably  be  added  to  her  allies.  It  is  probable 
tliat  neither  of  those  measures  would  be  adopted  by  any  admin- 
istration, but  that  Federal  ships  w^ould  be  sent  to  collect  the 
duties  on  imports  outside  of  the  bar;  that  the  commercial 
nations  would  feel  little  interest  in  that;  and  the  Southern 
States  would  have  little  power  to  counteract  it. 

The  planting  States  have  a  common  interest  of  such  magni- 
tude, that  their  union,  sooner  or  later,  for  the  j^rotection  of  that 
interest,  is  certain.  United  they  will  have  ample  power  for 
their  own  protection,  and  their  exports  will  make  for  them  allies 
of  all  commercial  and  manufacturing  powers. 

The  new  States  have  a  hetrcogencous  population,  and  will 
ba  slower  and  less  unanimous  than  those  in  which  there  is  less 
of  the  Northern  element  in  tJie  body  politic,  but  interest  con- 
trols the  policy  of  States,  and  finally  all  the  planting  commu- 
nities must  reach  thesnmeconclusion.  ]\Iy  opinioni'^,  therefore, 
as  it  has  been,  in  favor  of  seeling  to  bring  iliose  IStaies  info  coopera- 
tion before  asking  for  a  popular  decision  upon  a  ticw  pol'Lcy  and 

14 


210  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

relation  to  the  nations  of  the  earth.  If  South  Carolina  should 
resolve  to  secede  before  that  cooperation  can  be  obtained,  to  go 
out  leaving  Georgia,  and  Alabama,  and  Louisiana  in  the 
Union,  and  without  any  reason  to  suppose  they  will  follow  her, 
there  appears  to  me  to  be  no  advantage  m  waiting  until  the 
government  has  passed  into  hostile  hands,  and  men  have 
become  familiarized  to  that  injurious  and  ofFensive  perversion 
of  the  general  government  from  the  ends  for  which  it  was 
established.  I  have  written  with  the  freedom  and  carelessness 
of  private  correspondence,  and  regret  that  I  could  not  give 
more  precise  information. 

Very  respectfully,  yours,  etc., 

Jefferson  Davis. 

Soon  after  the  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  the  governor  of  Mis- 
sissippi issued  his  proclamation  convening  the  legislature  in 
special  session,  and  invited  the  United  States  Senators  and 
members  of  the  House  from  the  State  to  meet  him  in  confer- 
ence to  discuss  the  character  of  the  message  he  should  send  to 
the  legislature. 

Li  that  conference  ]\Ir.  Davis  stood  almost  alone,  and  opposed 
immediate  and  separate  state  action  so  strongly  that  his  col- 
leagues were  dissatisfied  with  his  action,  and  some  of  them 
thought  him  entirely  *'too  slow,"  if  not  opposed  to  secession 
altogether.  The  following  letter  from  Hon.  0.  R.  Singleton, 
a  member  of  the  conference,  confirms  Mr.  Davis's  own  state- 
ment of  it: 

"  Canton,  Mississippi,  July  14,  1877. 

"In  1860,  about  the  time  the  ordinance  of  secession  was 
p  ssed  by  the  South  Carolina  convention,  and  while  Missis- 
sippi, Alabam.a,  and  other  Southern  States  were  making  active 
preparations  to  follow  her  example,  a  conference  of  the  Missis- 
sippi delegation  in  Congress,  Senators  and  Representatives, 
was  asked  for  by  Governor  J.  J.  t*ettus,  for  consultation  as  to 
the  course  Mississippi  ought  to  take  in  the  premises. 

"The  meeting  took  place  in  the  fall  of  1860,  at  Jackson, 
the  capital,  the  whole  delegation  being  present,  with  perhaps 
the  exception  of  one  representative. 


JRFFORTS  TO  PRESERVE  THE  T'X/oX.  211 

"The  main  question  for  consideration  was :  'iSliall  Misj^is- 
sippi,  as  soon  as  her  convention  can  meet,  pass  an  ordinance 
of  secession,  thus  phicing  herself  hy  the  side  of  Soutli  Caro- 
lina, regardless  of  the  action  of  other  States;  or  shall  she 
endeavor  to  hold  South  Carolina  in  check,  and  delay  action 
herself,  until  other  States  can  get  ready,  through  their  conven- 
tions, to  unite  with  them,  and  then,  on  a  given  day  and  at  a 
given  hour,  hy  concert  of  action,  all  the  States  willing  to  do 
so,  secede  in  a  body  ?' 

"  Upon  the  one  side,  it  was  argued  that  South  Carolina  could 
not  be  induced  to  delay  action  a  single  moment  beyond  the 
meeting  of  her  convention,  and  that  our  fate  should  be  hers, 
and  to  delay  action  would  be  to  have  her  crushed  by  the  Fed- 
eral government ;  whereas, , by  the  earliest  action  possible,  we 
might  be  able  to  avert  this  calamity.  On  the  other  side,  it 
was  contended  that  delay  might  bring  the  Federal  government 
to  consider  the  emergency  of  the  case,  and  j)erhaps  a  compro- 
mise could  be  effected;  but,  if  not,  then  the  proposed  concert 
of  action  would  at  least  give  dignity  to  the  movement,  and 
j^resent  an  undivided  Southern  front. 

"The  debate  lasted  many  hours,  and  ]\Ir.  Davis,  with  per- 
haps one  other  gentleman  in  that  conference,  opposed  imme- 
diate and  separate  State  action,  declaring  himself  opposed  to 
secession  as  long  as  the  hope  of  a  peaceable  remedy  remained. 
He  did  not  believe  we  ought  to  precipitate  the  issue,  as  he  felt 
certain  from  his  knowledge  of  the  people.  North  and  South, 
that,  once  there  was  a  clash  of  arms,  the  contest  would  be  one 
of  the  most  sanguinary  the  world  had  ever  witnessed. 

"A  majority  of  the  meeting  decided  that  no  delay  should  be 
interposed  to  separate  State  action,  Mr.  Davis  being  on  the  other 
side;  but,  after  the  vote  was  taken  and  the  question  decided, 
Mr.  Davis  declared  he  would  stand  by  whatever  action  the 
convention  representing  the  sovereignty  of  the  State  of  Missis- 
sippi might  think  proper  to  take. 

"After  the  conference  was  ended,  several  of  its  members 
were  dissatisfied  with  the  course  of  Mr.  Davis,  believing  that 
he  was  entirely  opposed  to  secession,  and  was  seeking  to  delay 
action  upon  the  part  of  Mississippi,  with  the  hope  that  it 
might  be  entirely  averted. 

"  In  some  unimportant  respects  my  memory  may  be  at  fault, 
and  possibly  some  of  the  inferences  drawn  may  be  incorrect ; 


212  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIA  L  VOL  UME. 

but  every  material  statement  maae,  I  am  sure,  is  true,  and,  if 
need  be,  can  be  easily  substantiated  by  other  persons. 

"  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 
(Signed)  0.  R.  Singleton.'' 

Mr,  Davis  was  active  and  earnest  in  his  efforts  to  effect  a 
compromise  and  reach  a  basis  which  would  permit  the  South- 
ern States  to  remain  in  the  Union.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
committee  of  the  Senate  to  whom  was  referred  the  famous 
"  Crittenden  compromise,"  and  avowed  himself  willing  to 
accept  that  or  any  other  plan  that  the  opposing  factions  could 
agree  upon,  and  that  promised  any  reasonable  hope  of  suc- 
cess. But  the  "Republican"  members  of  the  committee 
rejected  absolutely  everything  that  the  Northern  and  Southern 
Democrats  and  Whigs  agreed  on,  and  seemed  determined  not 
to  consent  to  anything  that  promised  a  settlement.  On  the 
10th  of  December,  Mr.  Davis  closed  an  able  and  eloquent 
speech  as  follows: 

"  This  Union  is  dear  to  me  as  a  Union  of  fraternal  States. 
It  would  lose  its  value  if  I  had  to  regard  it  as  a  Union  held 
together  by  physical  force.  I  would  be  happy  to  know  that 
every  State  now  felt  that  fraternity  which  made  this  Union 
possible ;  and,  if  that  evidence  could  go  out,  if  evidence  satis- 
factory to  the  people  of  the  South  could  be  given  that  that 
feeling  existed  in  the  hearts  of  the  Northern  people,  you  might 
burn  your  statute  books  and  we  would  cling  to  the  Union  still. 
But  it  is  because  of  their  conviction  that  hostility,  and  not  fra- 
ternity, now  exists  in  the  hearts  of  the  people,  that  they  are  look- 
ing to  their  reserved  rights  and  to  their  independent  powers  for 
their  own  protection.  If  there  be  any  good,  then,  which  we  can 
do,  it  is  by  sending  evidence  to  them  of  that  whioh  I  fear  does 
not  exist — the  purpose  of  your  constituents  to  fulfil  in  the 
spirit  of  justice  and  fraternity  all  their  constitutional  obliga- 
tions. If  you  can  submit  to  them  that  evidence,  I  feel  confi- 
dence that,  with  the  assurance  that  aggression  is  henceforth  to 
cease,  will  terminate  all  the  measures  for  defense.  Upon  you 
of  the  majority  section  it  depends  to  restore  peace  and  perpetu- 
ate the  Union  of  equal  States ;  upon  us  of  the  minority  section 


EFFOETS  TO  FBESERVE  THE  UNION. 


S13 


rests  the  duty  to  maintain  our  equality  and  community  rights; 
md  the  means  in  one  case  or  the  other  must  be  such  as  each 
can  control." 

Mr.  Davis,  in  his  book,  has  ably  and  triumphantly  vindi- 
cated himself  and  other  Southern  Senators  and  Representatives 
from  the  oft-repeated  slander  that  they  were  members  of  a 
secret  "cabal,"  plotting  the  destruction  of  the  Union,  and  shows 
that  he  did  everything  in  his  power  to  avert  the  calamity. 

He  quotes  the  following  clear  nd  conclusive  reply  of  his 
intimate  friend,  Hon.  C.  C.  Clay,  of  Alabama,  to  certain 
phases  of  this  slander  to  which  his  attention  had  been  called: 

"The  import  is,  that  Mr.  Davis,  disappointed  and  cha- 
grined at  not  receiving  the  nomination  of  the  Democratic 
party  for  President  of  the  United  States  in  1860,  took  the  lead 
on  the  assembling  of  Congress  in  December,  1860,  in  a  'con- 
spiracy '  of  Southern  Senators  which  planned  the  secession  of 
the  Southern  States  from  the  Union,'  and  *  on  the  night  of 
January  5,  1861,  .  >  framed  the  scheme  of  revolution  which 
was  implicitly  and  promptly  followed  at  the  South.'  In  other 
words,  that  Southern  Senators  (and,  chief  among  them,  Jeffer- 
son Davis),  then  and  there,  instigated  and  induced  the  Southern 
States  to  secede. 

'  I  am  quite  sure  that  Mr.  Davis  neither  expected  nor  desired 
the  nomination  for  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States  in 
1860.  He  never  evinced  any  such  aspiration,  by  word  or 
sign,  to  me — with  whom  he  was,  I  believe,  as  intimate  and 
confidential  as  with  any  person  outside  of  his  own  family. 
On  jhe  contrary,  he  requested  the  delegation  from  Mississippi 
not  to  permit  the  use  of  his  name  before  the  convention. 
And,  after  the  nomination  of  both  Douglas  and  Breckinridge, 
he  conferred  wath  them,  at  the  instance  of  leading  Democrats, 
to  persuade  them  to  withdraw,  that  their  friends  might  unite 
on  some  second  choice — an  office  he  would  never  have  under- 
taken, had  he  sought  the  nomination  or  believed  that  he  was 
regarded  as  an  aspirant. 


214  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME, 

"  Mr.  Davis  did  not  take  an  active  part  in  planning  or  haS' 
tening  secession.  I  think  he  only  regretjidly  consented  to  it, 
as  a  political  necessity  for  the  preservation  of  popular  and 
State  rights,  which  were  seriously  threatened  by  the  triumph 
of  a  sectional  party  who  were  pledged  to  make  war  on  them. 
I  know  that  some  leading  men,  and  even  Mississippians, 
thought  him  too  moderate  and  backward,  and  found  fault  with 
him  for  not  taking  a  leading  part  in  secession. 

"No  plan  of  secession'  or  'scheme  of  revolution'  was,  to  my 
knowledge,  discussed — certainly  none  matured — at  the  caucus, 
5th  of  January,  1861,  unless,  forsooth,  the  resolutions  appended 
hereto  be  so  held.  They  comprise  the  sum  and  substance  of 
what  was  said  and  done.  I  never  heard  that  the  caucus  advised 
the  South  '  to  accumulate  munitions  of  war,'  or  'to  organize  and 
equip  an  army  of  one  hundred  thousand  men,'  or  determined 
'to  hold  on  as  long  as  possible  to  the  Southern  seats.'  So  far 
from  it,  a  majority  of  Southern  Senators  seemed  to  think  there 
would  be  no  war;  that  the  dominant  party  in  the  North 
desired  separation  from  the  South,  and  would  gladly  let  their 
'erring  sisters  go  in  peace.'  I  could  multiply  proofs  of  such  a 
disposition.  As  to  holding  on  to  their  seats,  no  Southern  leg- 
islature advised  it,  no  Southern  Senator  who  favored  secession 
did  so  but  one,  and  none  others  wished  to  do  so,  I  believe. 

"The  ^plan  of  secession,'  if  any,  and  the  purpose  of  seces- 
sion, unquestionably,  originated,  not  in  AVashington  city,  or 
with  the  Senators  or  Representatives  of  the  South,  but  among 
the  people  of  the  several  States,  many  months  before  it  was 
attempted.  They  followed  no  leaders  at  Washington  or  else- 
where, but  acted  for  themselves,  with  an  independence  and 
unanimity  unprecedented  in  any  movement  of  such  magni- 
tude. Before  the  meeting  of  the  caucus  of  January  5,  1861, 
South  Carolina  had  seceded,  and  Alabama,  Mississippi,  Florida, 
Louisiana,  and  Texas  had  taken  the  initial  step  of  secession, 
by  calling  conventions  for  its  accomplishment.     Before  the  elec- 


EFFORTS  TO  PRESERVE  THE  U^UON. 


215 


tion  of  Lincoln,  all  the  Southern  States,  excepting  one  or  two, 
had  pledged  themselves  to  separate  from  the  Union  upon  tho 
triumph  of  a  sectional  party  in  the  presidential  election,  by 
acts  or  resolutions  of  their  legislatures,  resolves  of  both  Dem- 
ocratic and  Whig  State  conventions,  and  of  primary  assemblies 
of  the  people — in  every  way  in  which  they  could  commit 
themselves  to  any  future  act.  Their  purpose  was  proclaimed 
to  the  world  through  the  press  and  telegraph,  and  criticised  in 
Congress,  in  the  Northern  legislatures,  in  press  and  pulpit, 
and  on  the  hustings,  during  manyl  months  before  Congress 
met  in  December,  1S60. 

"  Over  and  above  all  these  facts,  the  reports  of  the  United 
States  Senate  show  that,  prior  to  the  5th  of  Januar3',  1861, 
Southern  Senators  united  with  Northern  Democratic  Senators 
in  an  effort  to  effect  pacification  and  prevent  secession,  and 
that  Jefferson  Davis  was  one  of  a  committee  appointed  by  the 
Senate  to  consider  and  report  sucli  a  measure;  that  it  failed 
because  the  Northern  Re23ublicans  opposed  everything  that 
looked  to  peace;  that  Senator  Douglas  arraigned  them  as  try- 
ing to  precipitate  secession,  referred  to  Jefferson  Davis  as  one 
who  sought  conciliation,  and  called  upon  the  Republican  Sen- 
ators to  tell  what  they  would  do,  if  anything,  to  restore  har- 
mony and  prevent  disunion.  They  did  not  even  deign  a 
response.  Thus,  by  their  sullen  silence,  they  made  confession 
(without  avoidance)  of  their  stubborn  purpose  to  hold  up  no 
hand  raised  to  maintain  the  Union.  .  .  ." 

But  events  hastened ;  his  sovereign  state  seceded  from  the 
Union,  and  ]\Ir.  Davis  did  not  hesitate  to  obey  her  mandate 
and  follow  her  lead 

On  the  20tli  of  January,  1861,  he  wrote  the  following  ten- 
der letter  to  his  old  friend,  President  Franklin  Pierce : 

"Washington,  D.  C,  January  20,  1861. 
"i!/?/   Dear   Friend:  I  have  often    and   sadly   turned    my 
thoughts  to  you  during  the  troublous  times  through  which  we 


218  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME, 

have  been  passing,  and  now  I  come  to  the  hard  task  of 
announcing  to  you  that  the  hour  is  at  hand  which  closes  my 
connection  witli  the  United  States,  for  the  independence  and 
union  of  which  my  father  toiled  and  in  the  service  of  which 
I  have  sought  to  emulate  the  example  h-e  set  for  my  guidance. 
Mississippi,  not  as  a  matter  of  choice,  but  of  necessity,  has 
resolved  to  enter  on  the  trial  of  secession.  Those  who  have 
driven  her  to  this  alternative  threaten  to  deprive  her  of  the 
right  to  require  that  her  government  shall  rest  on  the  consent 
of  the  governed,  to  substitute  foreign  force  for  domestic  sup- 
port, to  reduce  a  State  to  the  condition  from  which  the  colony 
rose.  In  the  attempt  to  avoid  the  issue  which  had  been  joined 
by  the  country,  the  present  administration  has  complicated 
and  precipitated  the  question.  Even  now,  if  the  duty  to  *  pre- 
serve the  public  property '  was  rationally  regarded,  the  proba- 
ble collision  at  Charleston  would  be  avoided.  Security  far 
better  than  any  which  the  Federal  troops  can  give  might  be 
obtained  in  consideration  of  the  little  garrison  of  Fort  Sum- 
ter. If  the  disavowal  of  any  purpose  to  coerce  South  Caro- 
lina be  sincere,  the  possession  of  a  work  to  command  the  har- 
bor is  worse  than  useless. 

"  When  Lincoln  comes  in  he  will  have  but  to  continue  in 
the  path  of  his  predecessor  to  inaugurate  a  civil  war,  and  leave 
a  soi-disant  Democratic  administration  responsible  for  the  fact. 
General  Cushing  was  here  last  week,  and  when  he  parted  it 
seemed  like  taking  a  last  leave  of  a  brother. 

"  I  leave  immediately  for  Mississippi,  and  know  not  what 
may  devolve  upon  me  after  my  return.  Civil  war  has  only 
horror  for  me,  but  whatever  circumstances  may  demand  shall 
be  met  as  a  duty,  and  I  trust  be  so  discharged  that  you  will 
not  be  ashamed  of  our  former  connection  or  cease  to  be  my 
friend. 

•'  Mrs.  Davis  joins  me  in  kind  remembrance  to  Mrs.  Pierce, 
and  the  expression  of  the  hope  that  we  may  yet  have  you  both 
at  our  country  home.  Do  me  the  favor  to  write  to  me  often. 
Address  Hurricane  P.  0.,  Warren  county.  Miss. 

May  God  bless  you,  is  ever  the  prayer  of  your  friend, 

"  President  F.  Pierce.  "  Jeff'n  Davis." 

The  next  day  he  delivered  his  famous  "Farewell  to  the 
Senate,"  which  so  fully  expresses  his  views  and  so  ably  vindi- 


£:rTOEr.^  to  fuesehvje  tb..e  uuiqn.  i\i 

cates  his  oAvii  course  and  that  of  thoaa  wiio  acted  with  him, 
that  "we  give  it  in  full. 

SPEECH  OF  HON,  JEFFERSON  DAVIS,  ON  WITHDRAWING  FROM  THE 
U.  S.  SENATE,  JAN.  21,  ISGl. 

"Mr.  Davis:  Irise,  Mr.  President,  for  the  purpose  of  announc- 
ing to  the  Senate  that  I  have  satisfactory  evidence  tluit  the 
State  of  Mississippi,  by  a  solemn  ordinance  of  her  people,  in 
convention  assembled,  has  declared  her  separation  from  the 
United  States.  Under  these  circumstances,  of  course,  my  func- 
tions are  terminated  here.  It  has  seemed  tome  proper,  however, 
that  I  should  appear  in  the  Senate  to  announce  that  fact  to  my 
associates,  and  I  will  say  but  very  little  more.  The  occasion 
does  not  invite  me  to  go  into  argument;  and  my  physical 
condition  would  not  permit  me  to  do  so,  if  otherwise ;  and  yet 
it  seems  to  become  me  to  say  something  on  the  part  of  a  State 
I  here  represent,  on  an  occasion  so  solemn  as  this. 

"It  is  known  to  Senators  who  have  served  with  me  here, that 
I  have,  for  many  years,  advocated,  as  an  essential  attribute  of 
State  sovereignty,  the  right  of  a  State  to  secede  from  the  Union. 
Tlierefore,  if  I  had  not  believed  there  was  justifiable  cause;  if 
I  had  thought  that  Mississippi  was  acting  without  sufficient 
provocation,  or  without  an  existing  necessity,  I  should  still, 
under  my  theory  of  the  Government,  because  of  my  allegiance 
to  the  State  of  which  I  am  a  citizen,  have  been  bound  by  her 
action.  I,  however,  may  be  permitted  to  say  that  I  do  think 
she  has  justifiable  cause,  and  I  approve  of  her  act.  I  conferred 
with  her  people  before  that  act  was  taken,  counseled  them  then 
that  if  the  state  of  things  which  they  apprehended  should  exist 
when  the  convention  met,  they  should  take  the  action  which 
they  have  now  adopted. 

"I  hope  none  who  hear  me  will  confound  this  expression  of 
mine  with  the  advocacy  of  the  right  of  a  State  to  remain  in  the 
Union,  and  to  disregard  its  constitutional  obligations  by  the 
aulHfication  of  the  law,     Such  is  not  my  theory.     Nullification 


218  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

and  secession,  so  often  confounded,  are,  indeed,  antagonistic 
principles.  Nullification  is  a  remedy  which  it  is  Sought  to 
apply  within  the  Union,  and  against  the  agent  of  the  States. 
It  is  only  to  be  justified  when  the  agent  has  violated  his  con- 
stitutional obligations,  and  a  State,  assuming  to  judge  for 
itself,  denies  the  right  of  the  agent  thus  to  act,  and  appeals  to 
the  other  States  of  the  Union  for  a  decision ;  but  when  the 
States  themselves,  and  when  the  people  of  the  States,  have  so 
acted  as  to  convince  us  that  they  will  not  regard  our  constitu- 
tional rights,  then,  and  then  for  the  first  time,  arises  the 
doctrine  of  secession  in  its  practical  application. 

"A  great  man  who  now  reposes  with  his  fathers,  and  who  has 
often  been  arraigned  for  a  want  of  fealty  to  the  Union,  advo- 
cated the  doctrine  of  nullification  because  it  preserved  the 
Union.  It  was  because  of  his  deep-seated  attachment  to  the 
Union — his  determination  to  find  some  remedy  for  existing 
ills  short  of  a  severance  of  the  ties  which  bound  South  Carolina 
to  the  other  States,  that  Mr.  Calhoun  advocated  the  doctrine 
of  nullification,  which  he  proclaimed  to  be  peaceful — to  be 
within  the  limits  of  State  power,  not  to  disturb  the  Union,  but 
oiily  to  be  a  means  of  bringing  the  agent  before  the  tribunal 
of  the  States  for  their  judgment. 

''Secession  belongs  to  a  different  class  of  remedies.  It  is  to 
be  justified  upon  the  basis  that  the  States  are  sovereign.  There 
was  a  time  when  none  denied  it.  I  hope  the  time  may  come 
again,  when  a  better  comprehension  of  the  theory  of  our 
government,  and  the  inalienable  rights  of  the  people  of  the 
States,  will  prevent  any  one  from  denying  that  each  State  is  a 
sovereign,  and  thus  may  reclaim  the  grants  which  it  has  made 
to  any  agent  whomsoever. 

"I,  therefore,  say  I  concur  in  the  action  of  the  people  of  Mis- 
sissippi, believing  it  to  be  necessary  and  proper,  and  should 
have  been  bound  by  their  action  if  my  belief  had  been  other- 
wise ;  and  this  brings  me  to  the  important  point  which  I  wish? 


EFFORTS  TO  PRESERVE  THE  UNION. 


219 


on  this  last  occasion,  to  present  to  the  Senate.  It  is  by  this 
confounding  of  nullification  and  secession,  that  the  name  of  a 
great  man,  whose  ashes  now  mingle  with  his  mother  earth, 
has  been  evoked  to  justify  coercion  against  a  seceded  State. 
The  phrase-  'to  execute  the  laws,'  was  an  expression  which 
General  Jackson  applied  to  the  case  of  a  State  refusing  to  obey 
the  laws  while  yet  a  member  of  the  Union.  That  is  not  the 
case  which  is  now  presented.  The  laws  are  to  be  executed 
over  the  United  States,  and  upon  the  people  of  the  United 
States.  They  have  no  relation  to  any  foreign  country.  It  is  a 
perversion  of  terms — at  least  it  is  a  great  misapprehension  of 
the  case — which  cites  that  expression  for  application  to  a  State 
which  has  withdrawn  from  the  Union.  You  may  make 
war  on  a  foreign  State,  If  it  be,  the  purpose  of  gentlemen, 
they  make  war  against  a  State  which  has  withdrawn  from  the 
Union ;  but  there  are  no  laws  of  the  United  States  to  be  exe- 
cuted within  the  limits  of  a  seceded  State.  A  State,  finding  her- 
self in  the  condition  in  which  Mississippi  has  judged  she  is — 
in  which  her  safety  requires  that  she  should  provide  for  the 
maintenance  of  her  rights  out  of  the  Union — surrenders  all 
the  benefits  (and  they  are  known  to  be  many),  deprives  her- 
self of  the  advantages  (and  they  are  know  to  be  great),  severs 
all  the  ties  of  afi'ection  (and  they  are  close  and  enduring), 
which  have  bound  her  to  the  Union ;  and  thus  divesting  her- 
self of  every  benefit — taking  upon  herself  every  burden — she 
claims  to  be  exempt  from  any  power  to  execute  the  laws  of  the 
United  States  within  her  limits. 

"I  well  remember  an  occasion  when  Massachusetts  was 
arraigned  before  the  bar  of  the  Senate,  and  when  the  doctrine 
of  coercion  was  rife,  and  to  be  applied  against  her,  because  of 
the  rescue  of  a  fugitive  slave  in  Boston.  My  opinion  then  was 
the  same  that  it  is  now.  Not  in  a  spirit  of  egotism,  but  to 
show  that  I  am  not  influenced,  in  my  opinion,  because  the 
case  is  my  own,  I  refer  to  that  time  and  that  occasion,  as  con- 


220  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

taining  the  opinion  which  I  then  entertained,  and  on  which 
my  present  conduct  is  based.  I  then  said  that  if  Massachu 
setts,  following  her  through  a  stated  line  of  conduct,  choose  to 
take  the  last  step  which  separates  her  from  the  Union,  it  is  her 
right  to  go,  and  I  will  neither  vote  one  dollar  nor  one  man  to 
coerce  her  back;  but  will  say  to  her,  God  speed,  in  memory  of 
the  kind  associations  which  once  existed  betv/een  her  and  the 
other  States. 

"It  has  been  a  conviction  of  pressing  necessity — it  has  been 
a  belief  that  we  are  to  be  deprived,  in  the  Union,  of  the  rights 
which  our  fathers  bequeathed  to  us — which  was  brought 
Mississippi  into  her  present  decision.  She  has  heard  pro- 
claimed the  theory  that  all  men  are  created  free  and  equal, 
and  this  made  the  basis  of  an  attack  upon  her  social  institu- 
tions; and  the  sacred  Declaration  of  Independence  has  been 
invoked  to  maintain  the  position  of  the  equality  of  the  races. 
The  Declaration  of  Independence  is  to  be  construed  by  the 
circumstances  and  purposes  for  which  it  was  made.  The  com- 
munities were  declaring  their  independence;  the  people  of 
those  communities  were  asserting  that  no  man  was  born,  to 
use  the  language  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  booted  and  spurred,  to  ride 
over  the  rest  of  mankind;  that  men  were  created  equal — mean- 
ing the  men  of  the  political  community;  that  there  was  no 
divine  right  to  rule ;  that  no  man  inherited  the  right  to  govern; 
that  there  were  no  classes  by  which  power  and  place  descended 
to  families;  but  that  all  stations  were  equally  within  the  grasp 
of  each  member  of  the  body  politic.  These  were  the  great 
principles  they  announced;  these  were  the  purposes  for  which 
they  made  their  declaration;  these  were  the  ends  to  which 
their  enunciation  was  directed.  They  have  no  reference  to 
the  slave;  else,  how  happened  it,  that,  among  the  items  of 
arraignment  against  George  III,  was,  that  he  endeavored  to  do 
just  M'liat  the  North  has  been  endeavoring  of  late  to  do,  to  stir 
up    insurrection   among   our   slaves.     Had    the   Declaration 


EFFOIi'I\S  TO  FMEi^EH  VE  THE  Vl^ioy. 


'221 


announced  that  the  negroes  were  free  and  equal,  how  was  the 
prince  to  be  arrainged  for  raising  up  insurrection  among  them? 
And  how  was  this  to  be  enumerated  among  the  liigli  crimes 
which  caused  the  colonies  to  sever  their  connection  with  the 
mother  country?  "When  our  constitution  was  formed,  the 
same  idea  was  rendered  more  palpable;  for  there  we  find  pro- 
vision made  for  that  very  class  of  jDcrsons  as  property;  they 
were  not  put  upon  the  footing  of  equality  with  white  men — 
not  even  u])on  that  of  j^aupers  and  convicts;  but,  so  far  as 
representation  was  concerned,  were  discriminated  against  as  a 
lower  caste,  onl}''  to  be  represented  in  the  numerical  portion  of 
three-fifths. 

"Then,  Senators,  we  recur  to  the  compact  which  binds  us 
together;  we  recur  to  the  principles  upon  which  our  govern- 
ment was  founded;  and  when  j^ou  deny  them,  and  when  you 
deny  to  us  the  right  to  withdraw  from  a  government,  which, 
thus  perverted,  threatens  to  be  destructive  of  our  rights,  wo 
but  tread  in  the  path  of  our  fathers  when  we  proclaim  our 
independence,  and  take  the  hazard.  This  is  done,  not  in  hos- 
tility to  others — not  to  injure  any  section  of  the  country — not 
even  for  our  own  pecuniary  benefit;  but  from  the  high  and 
solemn  motive  of  defending  and  protecting  the  rights  we 
inherited,  and  which  it  is  our  duty  to  transmit  unshorn  to  our 
children. 

"I  find  in  myself,  perhaps,  a  type  of  the  general  feeling  of 
my  constituents  toward  j'ours.  I  am  sure  I  feel  no  hostility 
toward  you,  Senators  from  the  Korth.  I  am  sure  there  is  not 
one  of  you,  whatever  sharp  discussion  there  may  have  been 
between  us,  to  whom  I  cannot  now  say,  in  the  presence  of  my 
God,  I  wish  3'ou  well;  and  such,  I  am  sure,  is  the  feeling  of 
the  people  whom  I  represent  toward  those  whom  you  represent. 
I  therefore  feel  that  I  but  express  their  desire,  when  I  say  I 
hope,  and  they  hope,  for  peaceable  relations  with  you,  though 
we  must  part.     They  may  be  mutually  beneficial  to  us  in 


222  THE  I) A  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

the  future,  as  they  have  been  in  the  past,  if  you  so  will  it 
The  reverse  may  bring  disaster  on  every  portion  of  the  country; 
and  if  you  will  have  it  thus,  we  will  invoke  the  God  of  our 
fathers,  who  delivered  them  from  the  power  of  the  lion,  to  pro- 
tect us  from  the  ravages  of  the  bear;  and  thus,  putting  our 
trust  in  God,  and  in  our  firm  hearts  and  strong  arms,  we  will 
vindicate  the  right  as  best  we  may. 

"In  the  course  of  my  services  here,  associated,  at  different 
times,  with  a  great  variety  of  Senators,  I  see  now  around  me 
some  with  whom  I  have  served  long;  there  have  been  points 
of  collision,  but  whatever  of  offense  there  has  been  to  me,  I 
leave  here — I  carry  with  me  no  hostile  remembrance.  What- 
ever offense  I  have  given,  which  has  not  been  redressed^  or  for 
which  satisfaction  has  not  been  demanded,  I  have,  Senators,  in 
this  hour  of  our  parting,  to  offer  you  my  apology  for  any  pain 
which,  in  the  heat  of  discussion,  I  have  inflicted.  I  go  hence 
unincumbered  of  the  remembrance  of  any  injury  received,  and 
liaving  discharged  the  duty  of  making  the  only  reparation  in 
my  power  for  any  injury  offered. 

"Mr.  President  and  Senators,  having  made  the  announce- 
ment which  the  occasion  seemed  to  me  to  require,  it  only 
remains  for  me  to  bid  you  a  final  adieu." 


^    XIIL 

''WAS  DAVIS   \  TRAH  OR ?'^ 

AYe  have  borrowed  the  title  of  a  book  by  Dr.  Albert  Taylor 
Bledsoe,  which  is  one  of  the  ablest  and  .'most  conclusive  argu-  • 
ments  we  have  ever  seen,  and  which  as  completely  demon- 
strates tlie  negative  of  this  proposition  as  this  distinguished 
professor  ever  worked  out  a  probleii,  or  demonstrated  a  propo- 
sition to  a  class  in  mathematics. 

"We  cannot,  of  course,  within  the  proper  limits  and  scope  of 
this  volume,  go  into  any  full  discussion  of  this  question.  "We 
refer  the  reader  rather  to  Dr.  Bledsoe's  book,  to  "The  Republic 
of  Republics,"  to  A.  H.  Stephens's  "AVar  Between  the  States," 
to  Dr.  R.  L.  Dabney's  "Defence  of  A'irginia  and  the  South," 
and  especially  to  Mr.  Davis's  own  great  book  on  "  The  Rise 
and  Fall  of  the  Confederate  Government." 

Instead  of  our  own  statement  of  the  case  we  prefer  to  give 
what  some  of  our  ablest  men  have  said. 

And  first  we  quote  the  ably  expressed  views  of  Benjamin  J. 
"Williams, Esq., of  Massachusetts, as  written  in  188G,  in  response 
to  some  bitter  things  in  some  of  the  Northern  papers  concern- 
ing the  splendid  ovation  wliicli  the  people  of  Alabama  and 
Georgia  had  recently  given  their  loved  ex-President: 

"DIED  FOR  THEIR  STATE.'' 

By  Benjamin  J.  Williams,  of  Massachusetts. 

I  Lowell,  Mass..  Weekly  Sun,  June  5, 1885.] 

"The  communication  printed  below  is  from  the  pen  of  Mr. 
Benjamin  J.  "Williams,  of  Lowell,  Mass.,  and  treats  of  a  sub- 

[223] 


224  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

ject  of  deepest  interest  to  the  people  of  this  country,  North 
and  South.  It  treats  of  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis  and  his  connec- 
tion with  the  Southern  Confederacy  from  a  Southern  stand- 
point. The  writer  handles  his  subject  in  a  manner  unfamiliar 
to  our  readers,  who,  if  they  do  not  agree  with  the  sentiments 
expressed,  will  at  least  find  it  a  very  interesting  and  instruc- 
tive communication,  particularly  at  this  time. 

'■'  Editor  of  the  Sun  : 

"  Dear  Sir — The  demonstrations  in  the  South  in  honor  of 
Mr.  Jefferson  Davis,  the  ex-President  of  the  Confederate  States, 
are  certainly  of  a  remarkable  character,  and  furnish  matter 
for  profound  consideration.  Mr.  Davis,  twenty-one  years  after 
the  fall  of  the  Confederacy,  suddenly  emerging  from  his  long 
retirement,  journeys  among  his  people  to  different  prominent 
])oints,  there  to  take  part  in  public  observances  more  or  less 
directly  commemorative,  respectively,  of  the  cause  of  the  Con- 
federacy, and  of  those  who  strove  and  died  for  it,  and  every- 
where he  receives  from  the  people  the  most  overwhelming 
manifestations  of  heartfelt  affection,  devotion  and  reverence, 
exceeding  even  any  of  which  he  was  the  recipient  in  the  time 
of  his  power;  such  manifestations  as  no  existing  ruler  in  the 
world  can  obtain  from  his  people,  and  such  as  probably  were 
never  before  given  to  a  public  man,  old,  out  of  office,  with  no 
favors  to  dispense,  and  disfranchised. 

"  Such  homage  is  significant,  startling.  It  is  given,  as  Mr. 
Davis  himself  has  recognized,  not  to  him  alone,  but  to  the 
cause  whose  chief  representative  he  is.  And  it  is  useless  to 
attempt  to  deny,  disguise,  or  evade  the  conclusion  that  there 
must  be  something  great,  and  noble,  and  true  in  him  and  in 
the  cause  to  evoke  this  homage.  As  for  Mr.  Davis  himself, 
the  student  of  American  history  has  not  yet  forgotten  that  it 
was  his  courage,  self-possession  and  leadership,  that  in  the  very 
crisis  of  the  battle  at  Buena  Vista  won  for  his  country  her 
proudest  victory  upon  foreign  fields  of  war ;  that  as  Secretary 


I 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TEAITORf  22-') 

of  War  in  Mr.  Pierce's  administration,  he  was  its  master-spirit, 
and  that  he  was  the  recognized  leader  of  the  United  States 
Senate  at  the  time  of  the  secession  of  the  Southern  States. 
For  his'  character  there  let  it  be  stated  by  his  enemy  but 
admirer,  Massachusetts's  own  Henry  Wilson.  *  The  clear- 
headed, practical,  dominating  Davis,'  said  Mr.  Wilson  in  a 
speech  made  during  the  war,  while  passing  in  review  the  great 
Southern  Senators  who  had  withdrawn  with  their  States. 

"  When  the  secedhig  States  formed  their  new  Confederacy, 
in  recognition  of  Mr  Davis's  varied  and  predominant  abili- 
ties, he  was  unanimously  chosen  as  its  chief  magistrate.  And 
from  the  hour  of  his  arrival  at  Montgomery  to  assume  that 
office,  when  he  spoke  the  memorable  words,  *  We  are  deter- 
mined to  make  all  who  oppose  us  smell  Southern  powder  and 
feel  Southern  steel/  all  through  the  Confederacy's  four  years' 
unequal  struggle  for  independence  down  to  his  last  appeal  as 
its  chief,  in  liis  defiant  proclamation  from  Danville,  after  the 
fall  of  Richmond,  *  Let  us  not  despair,  my  countrymen,  but 
meet  the  foe  with  fresh  defiance,  and  with  unconquered  and 
unconquerable  hearts,'  he  exhibited  everywhere  and  always 
the  same  proud  and  unyielding  spirit,  so  expressive  of  his 
sanguine  and  resolute  temper,  which  no  disasters  could  subdue, 
which  sustained  him  even  when  it  could  no  longer  sustain 
others,  and  which,  had  it  been  possible,  would  of  itself  have 
assured  the  independence  of  the  Confederacy.  And  when  at 
last  the  Confederacy  had  fallen,  literally  overpowered  by 
immeasurably  superior  numbers  and  means,  and  Mr.  Davis 
was  a  prisoner,  subjected  to  the  grossest  indignities,  his  proud 
spirit  remained  unbroken,  and  never  since  the  subjugation  of 
his  people  has  he  abated  in  the  least  his  assertion  of  the  cause 
for  which  they  struggled.  The  seductions  of  power  or  interest 
may  move  lesser  men,  that  matters  not  to  him ;  the  cause  of 
the  Confederacy,  as  a  fixed  moral  and  constitutional  principle; 
'inaffected  by  the  triumph  of  physical  force,  he  asserts  to-daj 
15 


^6  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UMR 

as  unequivocally  as  when  be  was  seated  in  its  executive  chair 
at  Richmond,  in  apparently  irreversible  power,  with  its  victo- 
rious legions  at  bis  command.  Now,  when  we  consider  all 
this,  what  Mr,  Davis  has  been,  and  most  of  all,  what  be  is 
to-day  in  the  moral  greatness  of  bis  position,  can  we  wonder 
that  his  people  turn  aside  from  time-servers  and  self-seekers, 
and  from  all  the  common- j)lace  chaff  of  life,  and  render  to  him 
that  spontaneous  and  grateful  homage  which  is  bis  due? 

"  And  we  cannot,  indeed,  wonder  when  we  consider  the 
cause  for  which  Mr.  Davis  is  so  much  to  his  people.  Let  Mr. 
Davis  himself  state  it,  for  no  one  else  can  do  it  so  well.  In 
his  recent  address  at  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  Con- 
federate monument  at  Montgomery,  he  said  :  '  I  have  come  to 
join  you  in  the  performance  of  a  sacred  task,  to  lay  the  founda- 
tion of  a  monument  at  the  cradle  of  the  Confederate  govern- 
ment, which  shall  commemorate  the  gallant  sons  of  Alabama 
who  died  for  their  country,  who  gave  their  lives  a  free-will 
oflPering  in  defence  of  the  rights  of  their  sires,  won  in  the  war 
of  the  Revolution,  the  State  sovereignty,  freedom  and  inde- 
pendence, which  were  left  to  us  an  inheritance  to  their  pos- 
terity forever.'  These  masterful  words,  '  the  rights  of  their 
sires,  won  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  the  State  sovereignty, 
freedom  and  independence,  which  were  left  to  us  as  an  inherit- 
ance to  their  posterity  forever,'  are  the  whole  case,  and  they 
are  not  only  a  statement,  but  a  complete  justification  of  the 
Confederate  cause  to  all  who  are  acquainted  with  the  origin 
and  character  of  the  American  Union. 

"When  the  original  thirteen  colonies  threw  off  their  alle- 
giance to  Great  Britain,  they  became  independent  States, 
'independent  of  her  and  of  each  other,'  as  the  great  Luther 
Martin  expressed  it  in  the  Federal  convention.  This  inde- 
pendence was  at  first  a  revolutionary  one,  but  afterwards,  by 
its  recognition  by  Great  Britain,  it  became  legal.  The  recog- 
nition was  of  States  separately,  each  by  name,  in  the  treaty  of 


WAS  DA  VIS  A  TRAITOR  f  227 

peace  which  terminated  the  Mar  of  the  Kevohition.  And  that 
this  separate  recognition  was  deliberate  and  intentional,  with  the 
distinct  object  of  recognizing  the  States  as  separate  sovereignties, 
and  not  as  one  nation,  will  sufTiciently  appear  by  reference  to  the 
sixth  volume  of  Bancroft's  History  of  the  United  Slates.  The 
articles  of  confederation  between  the  States  declared,  that  'each 
State  retains  its  sovereignty,  freedom  and  independence.'  And 
the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  which  immediately  fol- 
lowed, was  first  adopted  by  the  States  in  convention,  each  State 
casting  one  vote,  as  a  proposed  plan  of  government;  and  then 
ratified  by  the  States  separately,  each  State  acting  for  itself  in  its 
sovereign  and  independent  capacity,  through  a  convention  of 
its  people.  And  it  was  by  this  ratification  that  the  constitu- 
tion was  established,  to  use  its  own  words,  'between  the  States 
so  ratifying  the  same,'  It  is  then  a  compact  between  the 
States  as  sovereigns,  and  the  Union  created  by  it  is  a  federal 
partnership  of  States,  the  Federal  government  being  their 
common  agent  for  the  transaction  of  the  Federal  business 
within  the  limits  of  the  delegated  powers.  As  to  tiie  new 
States,  which  have  been  formed  from  time  to  time  from  the 
territories,  when  they  were  in  a  territorial  condition,  the  sover- 
eignty over  them,  respectively,  was  in  the  States  of  the  Union, 
and  when  they,  respectively,  formed  a  constitution  and  State 
government  and  were  admitted  into  the  Union,  the  sovereignty 
passed  to  them,  respectively,  and  they  stood  in  the  Union  each 
upon  an  equal  footing  with  the  original  States,  parties  with 
them  to  the  constitutional  compact. 

"In  the  case  of  a  partnership  between  persons  for  business 
purposes,  it  is  a  familiar  principle  of  law,  that  its  existence  and 
continuance  are  purely  a  voluntary  matter  on  the  part  of 
its  members,  and  that  a  member  may  at  any  time  withdraw 
from  and  dissolve  the  partnership  at  his  pleasure;  and  it 
makes  no  difference  in  the  application  of  this  principle  if 
the  partnership,  by  its  terms,  be  for  fixed  time  or  perpetual — 


228  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

it  not  being  considered  by  the  law  sound  policy  to  hold  men 
together  in  business  association  against  their  will.  Now  if  a 
partnership  between  persons  is  purely  voluntary  and  subject 
to  the  will  of  its  members  severally,  how  much  more  so  is  one 
between  sovereign  States;  and  it  follows  that,  just  as  each 
State  separately,  in  the  exercise  of  its  sovereign  will,  entered 
the  Union,  so  may  it  separately,  in  tlie  exercise  of  that  will, 
withdraw  therefrom.  And,  further,  the  constitution  being  a 
compact,  to  which  the  States  are  parties,  'having  no  common 
judge,'  'each  party  has  an  equal  right  to  judge  for  itself  as 
well  of  infractions  as  of  tlie  mode  and  measure  of  redress,'  as 
declared  by  Mr.  Jefferson  and  Mr.  Madison,  in  the  celebrated 
resolutions  of  'OS,  and  the  right  of  secession  irresistibly  fol- 
lows. But  aside  from  the  doctrine  either  of  partnership  or 
compact,  upon  the  ground  of  State  sovereignty,  pure  and 
simple,  does  the  right  of  State  secession  impregnably  rest. 
Sovereignty,  as  defined  by  political  commentators,  is  'the  right 
of  commanding  in  the  last  resort.'  And  just  as  a  State  of 
the  Union,  in  the  exercise  of  this  right,  by  her  ratification  of 
the  constitution,  delegated  the  powers  therein  given  to  the 
Federal  government,  and  acceded  to  the  Union;  so  may  she  in 
the  exercise  of  the  same  right,  by  repealing  that  ratification, 
withdraw  the  delegated  powers,  and  secede  from  the  Union. 
The  act  of  ratification  by  the  State  is  the  law  which  makes  the 
Union  for  it,  and  the  act  cif  repeal  of  that  ratification  is  the  law 
svhich  dissolves  it. 

"  It  appears,  then,  from  this  view  of  the  origin  and  char- 
acter of  the  American  Union,  that  when  the  Southern  States, 
deeming  the  constitutional  compact  broken,  and  their  own  safety 
and  happiness  in  imminent  danger,  in  the  Union,  with- 
drew therefrom  and  organized  their  new  Confederacy, 
they  but  asserted,  in  the  language  of  Mr.  Davis,  'tne  rights 
of  their  sires  won  in  the  wai  of  'the  Revolution,  the 
»State   sovereignty,  Ireedom    and    mdepeuacucts    wtuuti    were 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TRAITOR f  229 

left  to  lis  as  an  inheritance  to  their  posterity  forever/  and  it 
was  in  defence  of  this  high  and  sacred  cause  that  the  Confed- 
erate soldiers  sacrificed  their  lives.  Tlicrc  was  no  need  for  war. 
The  action  of  the  Southern  States  was  legal  and  constitutional, 
and  history  will  attest  that  it  was  reluctantly  taken  in  the  last 
extremity,  in  the  hope  of  thereby  saving  their  whole  constitu- 
tional rights  and  liberties  from  destruction  by  Northern  aggres- 
sion, which  had  just  culminated  in  triumph  at  the  presidential 
election,  by  the  union  of  the  North  as  a  section  against  the 
South.  But  the  North,  left  in  possession  of  the  old  govern- 
ment of  the  Union,  flushed  with  power,  and  angry  lest  its  des- 
tined prey  should  escape,  found  a  ready  pretext  for  war. 
Immediately  upon  secession,  by  force  of  the  act  itself,  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  seceding  States,  respectively,  over  the  forts, 
arsenals,  and  dockyards  within  their  limits,  which  they  had 
before  ceded  to  the  federal  government  for  federal  purposes, 
reverted  to  and  reinvested  in  them  respectively.  They  were 
of  course  entitled  to  immediate  repossession  of  these  places, 
essential  to  their  defence  in  the  exercise  of  their  reassumed 
powers  of  war  and  peace,  leaving  all  questions  of  mere  pro« 
perty  value  apart  for  separate  adjustment.  In  most  casee  the 
seceding  States  repossessed  themselves  of  these  places  without 
difficulty;  but  in  some  the  forces  of  the  United  States  still  kept 
possession.  Among  these  last  was  Fort  Sumter,  in  the  harbor  of 
Charleston,  South  Carolina.  South  Carolina  in  vain  demanded 
the  peaceful  possession  of  this  fortress,  offering  at  the  same 
time  to  arrange  for  the  value  of  the  same  as  property,  and  sent 
commissioners  to  "Washington  to  treat  with  the  Federal  govern- 
ment for  the  same,  as  wtII  as  for  the  recognition  of  her  inde- 
pendence. But  all  her  attempts  to  treat  were  repulsed  or 
evaded,  as  likewise  were  those  subsequently  made  by  the  Con- 
federate government.  Of  course  the  Confederacy  could  not 
continue  to  allow  a  foreign  power  to  hold  possession  of  a  fort- 
ress dominating  the  harbor  of  her  chief  Atlajitic  seaport :  and 


230  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

the  Federal  government  having  sent  a  powerful  expeditiou 
with  reinforcements  for  Fort  Sumter,  the  Confederate  govern- 
ment at  last  proceeded  to  reduce  it.  The  reduction,  however, 
was  a  bloodless  affair;  while  the  captured  garrison  received  all 
the  honors  of  war,  and  were  at  once  sent  North,  with  every 
attention  to  their  comfort,  and  w^ithout  even  their  parole  being 
taken. 

"But  forthwith  President  Lincoln  at  Washington  issued  his 
call  for  militia  to  coerce  the  seceding  States-;  the  cry  rang  all 
over  the  North  that  the  flag  had  been  fired  upon;  and  amidst 
the  tempest  of  passion  which  that  cry  everywhere  raised  the 
Northern  militia  responded  with  alacrity,  the  South  was 
invaded,  and  a  war  of  subjugation,  destined  to  be  the  most 
gigantic  which  the  world  has  ever  seen,  was  begun  by  the  Fed- 
eral government  against  the  seceding  States,  in  complete  and 
amazing  disregard  of  the  foundation  principle  of  its  own  exist- 
ence, as  affirmed  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  that 
'governments  derive  their  just  powers  from  the  consent  of  the 
governed,'  and  as  established  by  the  war  of  the  Revolution  for 
the  people  of  the  States  respectively.  The  South  accepted  the 
contest  thus  forced  upon  her  with  the  eager  and  resolute  cour- 
age characteristic  of  her  joroud-spirited  people.  But  the  Fed- 
eral government,  though  weak  in  right,  was  strong  in  power; 
for  it  was  sustained  by  the  mighty  and  multitudinous  North. 
In  effect,  the  war  became  one  between  the  States;  between  the 
Northern  States,  represented  by  the  Federal  government,  upon 
the  one  side,  and  the  Southern  States,  represented  by  the  Con- 
federate government,  upon  the  other — the  border  Southern 
States  being  divided. 

"  The  odds  in  numbers  and  means  in  favor  of  the  North 
were  tremendous.  Her  white  population  of  nearly  twenty  mil- 
lions was  fourfold  that  of  the  strictly  Confederate  territory; 
and  from  the  border  Southern  States  and  communities  of  Mis- 
souri, Kentucky,  East  Tennessee,  West  Virginia,  Maryland,  and 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TRAITOR  f  231 

Delaware,  she  got  more  men  and  supplies  for  her  armies  than 
the  Confederacy  got  for  hers.  Kentucky  alone  furnished  as 
many  men  to  the  Northern  armies  as  ^lussachusetts.  In  avail- 
able money  and  credit,  the  advantage  of  the  North  was  vastly 
greater  than  in  population,  and  it  included  the  possession  of 
all  the  chief  centres  of  banking  and  commerce.  Then  she  had 
the  possession  of  the  old  government,  its  capital,  its  army  and 
navy,  and  mostly,  its  arsenals,  dockyards,  and  workshops,  with 
all  their  supplies  of  arms  and  ordnance,  and  military  and 
naval  stores  of  every  kind  and  the  means  of  manufacturing 
the  same.  Again,  the  North,  as  a  manufacturing  and  mechan- 
ical people,  abounded  in  factories  and  workshoj^s  of  every 
kind,  immediately  available  for  the  manufacture  of  every  spe- 
cies of  supplies  for  the  army  and  navy ;  while  the  South,  as 
an  agricultural  people,  were  almost  wanting  in  such  resources. 
Finally,  in  the  possession  of  the  recognized  government,  the 
North  was  in  full  and  free  communication  with  all  nations, 
and  had  full  opportunity,  which  she  improved  to  the  utmost, 
to  import  and  bring  in  from  abroad  not  only  supplies  of  all 
kinds,  but  men  as  well  for  her  service;  while  the  South,  with- 
out a  recognized  government,  and  with  her  ports  speedily 
blockaded  by  the  Federal  navy,  was  almost  entirely  shut  up 
within  herself  and  her  own  limited  resources. 

"Among  all  these  advantages  possessed  by  the  North,  the  first 
the  main  and  decisive,  was  the  navy.  Given  her  all  but  this 
and  they  would  have  been  ineffectual  to  prevent  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Confederacy.  That  arm  of  her  strength  was  at  the 
beginning  of  the  war  in  an  efficient  state,  and  it  was  rapidly 
augmented  and  improved.  By  it,  the  South  being  almost 
without  naval  force,  the  North  was  enabled  to  sweep  and  block- 
ade her  coasts  everywhere,  and  so,  aside  from  the  direct  distress 
inflicted,  to  prevent  foreign  recognition ;  to  capture,  one  after 
another,  her  seaports ;  to  sever  and  out  up  her  country  in  every 
direction  through  its  great  rivers ;  to  gain  lodgments  at  many 


232  TB.E  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

points  within  her  territory,  from  which  numerous  destructive 
raids  were  sent  out  in  all  directions ;  to  transport  troops  and 
supplies  to  points  where  their  passage  by  land  would  have 
been  difficult  or  impossible ;  and  finally  to  cover,  protect  and 
save,  as  by  the  navy  was  so  often  done,  the  defeated  and  other- 
wise totally  destroyed  armies  of  the  North  in  the  field.  But 
for  the  navy  Grant's  army  was  lost  at  Shiloh ;  but  for  it  on  the 
Peninsula,  in  the  second  year  of  the  war,  McClellau's  army, 
notwithstanding  his  masterly  retreat  from  his  defeats  before 
Richmond,  was  lost  to  a  man,  and  the  independence  of  the 
Confederacy  established.  After  a  glorious  four  years'  struggle 
against  such  odds  as  have  been  depicted,  during  which  inde- 
pendence was  often  almost  secured,  when  successive  levies  of 
armies,  amounting  in  all  to  nearly  three  millions  of  men,  had 
been  hurled  against  her,  the  South,  shut  off  from  all  the  world, 
wasted,  rent  and  desolate,  bruised  and  bleeding,  was  at  last 
overpowered  by  main  strength ;  outfought,  never ;  for,  from 
first  to  last,  she  everywhere  outfought  the  foe.  The  Confeder- 
acy fell,  but  she  fell  not  until  she  had  achieved  immortal  fame. 
Few  great  established  nations  in  all  time  have  ever  exhibited 
capacity  and  direction  in  government  equal  to  hers,  sustained 
as  she  was  by  the  iron  will  and  fixed  persistence  of  the  extra- 
ordinary man  who  was  her  chief;  and  few  have  ever  won  such 
a  series  of  brilliant  victories  as  that  which  illuminates  forever 
the  annals  of  her  splendid  armies,  while  the  fortitude  and 
patience  of  her  people,  and  particularly  of  her  noble  women, 
under  almost  incredible  trials  and  sufferings,  have  never 
been  surpassed  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

"  Such  exalted  character  and  achievement  were  not  all  in 
vain.  Though  the  Confederacy  fell  as  an  actual  physical 
power,  she  lives  illustrated  by  them,  eternally  in  her  just  cause, 
the  cause  of  constitutional  liberty.  And  Mr.  Davis's  Southern 
tour  is  nothing  less  than  a  vertical  moral  triumph  for  that 
cause  and  for  himself  as  its  faithful  chief,  manifesting  to  the 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TRAITOBf  233 

world  that  the  cause  still  lives  in  the  hearts  of  the  Southern 
people,  and  that  its  resurrection  in  the  body  in  fitting  hour 
may  yet  come. 

"Here,  in  the  North,  that  is  naturally  presumptuous  and 
arrogant  in  her  vast  material  power,  and  where  consequently 
but  little  attention  has,  in  general,  been  given  to  the  study  of 
the  nature  and  principles  of  constitutional  liberty,  as  connected 
with  the  rights  of  States,  there  is,  nevertheless,  an  increasing 
understanding  and  appreciation  of  the  Confederate  cause, 
particularly  here  in  the  New  England  States,  whose  position 
and  interests  in  the  Union  are,  in  many  respects,  peculiar,  and 
perhaps  require  that  these  States,  quite  as  much  as  those  of 
the  South,  should  be  the  watchful  guardians  of  the  State  sov- 
ereignty. Mingled  with  this  increasing  understanding  and 
appreciation  of  the  Confederate  cause,  naturally  comes  also  a 
growing  admiration  df  its  devoted  defenders ;  and  the  time 
may  yet  be  when  the  Northern  as  well  as  the  Southern  heart 
will  throb  reverently  to  the  proud  words  upon  the  Confederate 
monument  at  Charleston : — 

'  These  died  for  their  State.' 

"  Benj.  J.  Williams." 

One  of  the  clearest  vindications  of  the  South,  in  brief  spacb, 
which  we  have  seen  was  from  the  jDen  of  that  scientist  of 
world-wide  fame.  Commodore  ]\I.  F.  Maury,  and  we  quote  it  in 
full  from  the  Souihern  Historical  Society  Papers.  Vol.  I,  pp. 
49-Cl. 

A  VINDICATION  OF  VIRGINIA  AND  THE  SOUTH. 
By  Commodore  M.  F.  Maury. 

*•  [IN'OTE. — The  following  paper  is  not  the  production  of  a  partisan  or 
a  politiei.in,  but  of  a  great  scientist  wliose  finie  is  ■\voild-wide,  and 
who-  e  utterances  will  have  weight  auioug  the  Nations  and  iu  the  ages  to 
comp. 

"  This  able  vindication  will  derive  additional  interest  and  value  from 
the  statement  that  it  was  not  written  amid  the  storms  of  tlie  war,  but 
in  his  quiet  mountain  home,  in  INIny,  1S71,  not  long  before  the  world 
was  deprived  of  his  priceless  services'.     It  was,  in  fact,  the  last  thing  he 


234  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

ever  prepared  for  the  press  (the  ISISS.  bears  the  marks  of  his  final  revit 
sion),  and  should  go  oa  the  record  as  the  dying  testimony  of  one  whose 
character  was  above  reproach,  and  wliose  conspicuous  services  to  the 
cause  of  science  and  humanity  entitle  him  to  a  hearing.] 

*'  One  hundred  years  ago  we  were  thirteen  British  Colonies, 
remonstrating  and  disputing  with  the  mother  country  in  dis- 
content. After  some  years  spent  in  fruitless  complaints 
against  the  policy  of  the  British  government  towards  us,  the 
colonies  resolved  to  sever  their  connection  Avith  Great  Britain, 
that  they  might  be  first  independent,  and  then  proceed  to  gov- 
ern themselves  in  their  own  way.  At  the  same  time  thej^  took 
counsel  together  and  made  common  cause.  They  declared  cer- 
tain truths  to  be  self-evident,  and  proclaimed  the  right  of  every 
people  to  alter  or  amend  their  forms  of  government  as  to  them 
may  seem  lit.  They  pronounced  this  right  an  inalienable  right, 
and  declared  '  that  when  a  long  train  of  abuses  and  usurpations 
evinces  a  design  on  the  part  of  the  government  to  reduce  a  peo- 
ple to  absolute  despotism,  it  is  their  right,  it  is  their  duty,  to 
throw  off  such  government.'  In  support  of  these  declarations 
the  people  of  that  day,  in  the  persons  of  their  representatives, 
pledging  themselves,  their  fortunes  and  their  sacred  honor, 
went  to  war,  and  in  the  support  of  their  cause  appealed  to 
Divine  Providence  for  protection.  Under  these  doctrines  we 
and  our  fathers  grew  up,  and  we  were  taught  to  regard  them 
with  a  reverence  almost  holy,  and  to  believe  in  them  with  quite 
a  religious  belief. 

"  In  the  war  that  ensued,  the  colonies  triumphed ;  and  in  the 
treaty  of  peace.  Great  Britain  acknowledged  each  one  of  her 
revolted  colonies  to  be  a  nation,  endowed  with  all  the  attributes 
of  sovereignty,  independent  of  her,  of  each  other  and  of  all 
other  temporal  powers  whatsoever.  These  new-born  nations 
were  JSTew  Hampshire,  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  Connecti- 
cut, New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  Maryland, 
Virginia,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina  and  Georgia — thirteen 
in  all. 

"At  that  time  all  the  country  west  of  the  Alleghany  moun- 
tains was  a  wilderness.  All  that  part  of  which  lies  north  of 
the  Ohio  river  and  east  of  the  Mississippi,  called  the  Northwest 
Territory,  and  out  of  which  the  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  a  part  of  Minnesota  have  since  been 
carved,  belonged  to  Virginia.  She  exercised  dominion  over  it, 
and  in  her  resided  the  rights  of  undisputed  sovereignty.  These 
thirteen  powers,  which  were  then  as  independent  of  each  other 
as  France  is  of  Spain,  or  Brazil  is  of  Peru,  or  as  any  other  nation 
can  be  of  another,  concluded  to  unite  and  form  a  compact, 
called  the  coustitutiou,  the  main  objects  of  which  were  toestab- 


WAS  DA  VIS  A  TBAITOB  f 


235 


lish  justice,  secure  domestic  tranquility,  provide  for  the  com- 
mon defence,  and  promote  the  general  ^yclfaro.  To  this  end 
they  established  a  vicarious  government,  and  named  it  the 
United  States.  This  instrument  had  for  its  corner-stone  the 
aforementioned  inalienable  rights.  With  the  assertion  of  those 
precious  rights — Avhich  are  so  dear  to  the  hearts  of  all  true  Vir- 
ginians— fresh  upon  their  lips,  each  one  of  these  thirteen  States, 
signataries  to  this  compact,  delegated  to  this  new  government 
so  much  of  her  own  sovereign  powers  as  were  deemed  necessary 
for  the  accomplishment  of  its  objects,  reserving  to  herself  all 
the  powers,  prerogatives  and  attributes  not  specifically  granted 
or  specially  enumerated.  Nevertheless,  Virginia,  through  abun- 
dant caution,  when  she  fixed  her  seal  to  this  constitution,  did 
60  with  the  expre'ss  declaration,  in  behalf  of  her  people,  that 
the  powers  granted  under  it  might  be  resumed  by  them  when- 
ever the  same  should  be  perverted  to  their  injury  or  oppression  ; 
that '  no  right,  of  any  denomination,  can  be  canceled,  abridged, 
restrained  or  modified  by  the  Congress,  by  the  Senate  or  House 
of  Representatives,  acting  in  any  capacity,  by  the  President,  or 
any  department,  or  officer  of  the  United  States,  except  in  those 
instances  in  which  power  is  given  by  the  constitution  for  those 
purposes.'  With  this  agreement,  with  a  solemn  appeal  to  the 
*  Searcher  of  all  hearts '  for  the  purity  of  their  intentions,  our 
delegates,  in  the  name  and  in  behalf  of  the  people  of  Virginia, 
proceeded  to  accept  and  to  ratify  the  constitution  for  the 
government  of  the  United  States.*  Thus  the  government  at 
Washington  was  created. 

"  But  it  did  not  go  into  operation  until  the  other  States — par- 
ties to  the  contract — had  accepted  by  their  act  of  signature  and 
tacit  agreement  the  conditions  which  Virginia  required  to  be 
understood  as  the  terms  on  which  she  accepted  the  constitution 
and  agreed  to  become  one  of  the  United  States.  Thus  these 
conditions  became,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  a  part  of  that 
instrument  itself;  for  it  is  a  rule  of  law  and  a  principle  of 
right  laid  down,  well  understood  and  universally  acknowledged, 
(hat  if,  in  a  compact  between  several  parties,  any  one  of  them 
be  permitted  to  enter  into  it  on  a  condition,  that  condition 
enures  alike  to  the  benefit  of  all. 

*'  Notwithstanding  the  purity  of  motive  and  singleness  of  pur- 
pose which  moved  Virginia  to  become  one  of  the  United  States, 
sectional  interests  were  developed,  and  the  seeds  of  faction, 
strife  and  discord  appeared  in  the  very  convention  which 
adopted  the  constitution.  At  that  time  African  negroes  were 
bought  and  sold,  and  held  in  slavery  in  all  the  States.     They 

•  ftoceeding  oi  tlie  Virgmia  Convention,  1788,  p.  28.    Code  of  Virginia,  1S60. 


2^a  TB:E  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

had  been  brouglit  here  by  the  Crown  and  forced  upon  Virginia 
when  she  was  in  the  colonial  state,  in  spite  of  her  oft-repeated 
petitions  and  remonstrances  against  it;  and  now  since  she, 
with  others,  were  independent  and  masters  of  themselves,  they 
desired  to  put  an  end  forthwith  to  this  traffic.  To  this  the 
North  olDJected,  on  the  ground  that  her  people  were  extensively 
engaged  in  kidnapping  in  Africa  and  transporting  slaves  thence 
for  sale  to  Southern  planters.  They  had,  it  was  added,  such 
interests  at  stake  in  this  business  that  twenty  years  would  be 
required  to  wind  it  up.  At  that  time  the  political  balance 
between  the  sections  was  equal ;  and  the  South,  to  pacify  the 
North,  agreed  that  the  new  government  should  have  no  power, 
until  after  twenty  years  should  have  elapsed,  to  restrict  their 
traffic ;  and  thus  the  North  gained  a  lease  and  a  right  to  fetch 
slaves  from  Africa  into  the  South  till  1808.  That  year,  one  of 
Virginia's  own  sons  being  President  of  the  United  States,  an 
act  was  passed  forbidding  a  continuance  of  the  traffic,  and 
declaring  the  further  prosecution  of  it  piracy. 

<'  Virginia  was  the  leader  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  and 
Tier  sons  were  the  master-spirits  of  it,  both  in  the  field  and  in 
the  cabinet.  For  an  entire  generation  after  the  establishment 
of  the  government  under  the  constitution,  four  of  her  sons — 
with  an  interregnum  of  only  four  years — were  called,  one  after 
the  other,  to  preside,  each  for  a  period  of  eight  years,  over  the 
affairs  of  the  young  Republic  and  to  shape  its  policy.  In  the 
meantime  Virginia  gave  to  the  new  government  the  whole 
of  her  northwest  territory,  to  be  held  by  it  in  trust  for  the  ben- 
efit of  all  the  States  alike.  Under  the  wise  rule  of  her  illus- 
trious sons  in  the  presidential  chair,  the  Republic  grew  and  ita 
citizens  flourished  and  prospered  as  no  people  had  ever  done. 

"During  this  time,  the  African  slave-trade  having  ceased, 
the  price  of  negroes  rose  in  the  South  ;  then  the  Northern  peo- 
ple discovered  that  it  would  be  better  to  sell  their  slaves  to  the 
South  than  to  hold  them,  whereupon  acts  of  so-called  emanci- 
pation were  passed  in  the  North.  They  were  prospective,  and 
were  to  come  in  force  after  the  lapse,  generally,  of  twenty 
years,*  which  allowed  the  slaveholders  among  them  ample  time 
to  fetch  their  negroes  down  and  sell  them  to  our  people.  This 
many  of  them  did,  and  the  North  got  rid  of  her  slaves,  not  so 
much  by  emancipation  or  any  sympathy  for  the  blacks  as  by 
sale,  and  in  consequence  of  her  greed. 

"About  this  time  also  Missouri — into  which  the  earlier  set- 
tlers had  carried  their  slaves — applied  for  admission  into  the 
Union  as  a  State.     The  North  opposed  it,  on   the  ground  that 

*Slavei7  did  not  cease  in  New  York  till  1827. 


WA:S^  DAVL^  A  TnATTOJif  %rj 

slavery  existed  there.  The  South  appealed  to  the  constitution, 
called  for  the  charter  which  created  the  Federal  government, 
and  asked  for  the  clause  "which  gave  Congress  the  power  to 
interfere  with  the  domestic  institutions  of  any  State  or  with 
any  of  her  affairs,  further  than  to  see  that  her  organic  law 
insured  a  republican  form  of  government  to  her  people.  Kay, 
she  appealed  to  the  force  of  treaty  obligations  ;  and  reminded 
the  North  that  in  the  treaty  with  France  for  the  acquisition  of 
Louisiana,  of  which  Missouri  was  a  part,  the  public  faith  was 
pledged  to  protect  the  French  settlers  there,  and  their  descen- 
dants, in  their  rights  of  property,  which  includes  slaves.  The 
public  mind  became  excited,  sectional  feelings  ran  high,  and 
the  Union  was  in  danger  of  i)eing  broken  up  through  Northern 
aggression  and  Congressional  usurpations  at  that  early  day.  To 
quiet  the  storm,  a  son  of  Virginia  came  forward  as  peace-maker, 
and  carried  through  Congress  a  bill  that  is  knoAvn  as  'The 
Missouri  compromise.'  So  the  danger  was  averted.  This  bill, 
however,  was  a  concession,  simple  and  pure,  to  the  North  on  the 
part  of  the  South,  with  no  equivalent  whatever,  except  the  grat- 
ification of  a  patriotic  desire  to  live  in  harmony  with  her  sister 
States  and  preserve  the  Union.  This  compromise  was  to  the 
effect  that  the  Southern  people  should  thereafter  waive  their 
right  to  go  with  their  slaves  into  any  part  of  the  common  ter- 
ritory north  of  the  parallel  of  3G°  30.  Thus  was  surrendered 
up  to  the  North  for  settlement,  at  her  own  time  and  in  her  own 
way,  more  than  two-thirds  of  the  entire  public  domain,  with 
equal  rights  with  the  South  in  the  remainder. 

"  That  posterity  may  fairly  appreciate  the  extent  of  this  exac- 
tion by  the  North,  with  the  sacrifice  made  by  the  South  to  sat- 
isfy it,  maintain  the  public  faith  and  preserve  the  Union,  it  is 
necessary  to  refer  to  a  map  of  the  country,  and  to  remember 
that  at  that  time  neither  Texas,  New  Mexico,  California  nor 
Arizona  belonged  to  the  United  States ;  that  the  country  west 
of  the  Mississippi  Avhich  fell  under  that  compromise  is  that 
which  was  acquired  from  France  in  the  purchase  of  Louisiana, 
and  which  includes  West  IMinnesota,  the  whole  of  Iowa,  Arkan- 
sas, the  Indian  Territory,  Kansas,  Nebraska,  and  Dakota,  ]\Ion- 
tana,  Wyoming,  Colorada,  Utah,  Nevada,  Idaho,  Washington 
and  Oregon,  embracing  an  area  of  1,360,000  square  miles.  Of 
this  the  South  had  the  privilege  of  settling  Arkansas  alone,  or 
loss  than  four  per  cent,  of  the  whole.  The  sacrifice  thus  made 
by  the  South,  for  the  sake  of  the  Union,  will  be  more  fully 
appreciated  when  we  reflect  that  under  the  constitution  South- 
ern gentlemen  had  as  much  right,  and  the  same  right  to  go 
into  the  territories  with  their  slaves,  that  men  of  the  North  had 


288  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

to  carry  with  them  there  their  apprentices  and  servants.  Though 
this  arrangement  was  so  prejudicial  to  the  South,  though  the  Su- 
preme Court  decided  it  to  be  unconstitutional,  null  and  void,  the 
Southern  people  were  still  willing  to  stand  by  it ;  but  the  North 
would  not.  Backed  by  maiorities  in  Congress,  she  only  became 
more  and  more  aggressive.  Furthermore,  the  magnificent  coun- 
try given  by  Virginia  to  the  Union  came  to  be  managed  in  the 
political  interests  of  the  North.  It  was  used  for  the  encourage- 
ment of  European  emigration,  and  its  settlement  on  her  side  of 
that  parallel,  while  the  idea  was  sought  to  be  impressed  abroad 
by  false  representations  that  south  of  36°  30"  in  this  country 
out-door  labor  is  death  to  the  white  man,  and  that  throughout 
the  South  generally  labor  was  considered  degrading.  Such  was 
the  rush  of  settlers  from  abroad  to  the  polar  side  of  36?  30"  and 
for  the  cheap  and  rich  lands  of  the  northwest  territory,  that 
the  population  of  the  North  was  rapidly  and  vastly  increased— 
so  vastly  that  when  the  war  of  1861  commenced,  the  immigrants 
and  the  descendants  of  immigrants  which  the  two  sections  had 
received  from,  the  Old  World  since  this  grant  was  made, 
amounted  tc  not  less  than  7,000,000  souls  more  for  the  North 
than  for  the  South.  This  increase  destroyed  the  balance  of 
power  between  the  sections  in  Congress,  placed  the  South  hope- 
lessly in  the  minorit}^  and  gave  the  reins  of  the  government 
over  into  the  hands  of  the  Northern  factions.  Thus  the  two 
hundred  and  seventy  millions  of  acres  of  the  finest  land  on  the 
continent  which  Virginia  gave  to  the  government  to  hold  in 
trust  as  a  common  fund,  was  so  managed  as  greatly  to  benefit 
one  section  and  do  the  other  harm.  Nor  was  this  all.  Large 
grants  of  land,  amounting  to  many  millions  of  acres,  were 
made  from  this  domain  to  certain  Northern  States,  for  their 
railways  and  other  works  of  internal  improvement,  for  their 
schools  and  corporations ;  but  not  an  acre  to  Virginia. 

"In  consequence  of  the  Berlin  and  Milan  decrees,  the  orders 
in  council,  the  embargo  and  the  war  which  followed  in  1812, 
the  people  of  the  whole  country  suffered  greatly  for  the  want  of 
manufactured  articles,  many  of  which  had  become  neces- 
saries of  life.  Moreover  it  was  at  that  time  against  the  laws  of 
England  for  any  artisan  or  piece  of  machinery  used  in  her 
workshops  to  be  sent  to  this  country.  Under  these  circum- 
stances it  was  thought  wise  to  encourage  manufacturing  in  New 
England,  until  American  labor  could  be  educated  for  it,  and 
the  requisite  skill  acquired,  and  Southern  statesmen  took  the 
lead  111  the  passage  of  a  tariff  to  encourage  and  protect  our 
manufacturing  industries.  But  in  course  of  time  these  restric- 
tive laws  in  England  were  repealed,  and  it  then  became  easier 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TRAITOR  f 


2d9 


to  import  than  to  educate  labor  and  skill.  Nevertheless,  Ibe 
protection  continued,  and  was  so  effectual  that  the  manufac- 
turers of  New  England  began  to  compete  in  foreign  markets 
with  the  manufacturers  of  Old  England.  Whereupon  the 
South  said,  '  Enough :  the  North  has  free  trade  with  us ;  the 
Atlantic  ocean  rolls  between  this  country  and  Europe ;  the 
expense  of  freight  and  transportation  across  it,  with  moderate 
duties  for  revenue  alone,  ought  to  be  protection  enough  for  these 
Northern  industries.  Therefore,  let  us  do  away  with  tariffs  for 
protection.  They  have  not,  by  reason  of  geographical  law, 
turned  a  wheel  in  the  South ;  moreover,  they  have  proved  a 
grievous  burden  to  our  people.'  Northern  statesmen  did  not 
see  the  case  in  that  light;  but  fairness,  right,  and  the  consti- 
tution were  on  the  side  of  the  South.  She  pointed  to  the 
unfair  distribution  of  the  public  lands,  the  unequal  dispensation 
among  the  States  of  the  government  favor  and  patronage,  and 
to  the  fact  that  the  New  England  manufacturers  had  gained  a 
firm  footing  and  were  flourishing.  Moreover,  peace,  progress, 
and  develoj^ment  had,  since  the  end  of  the  French  wars,  dic- 
tated free  trade  as  the  true  policy  of  all  nations.  Our  Sena- 
tors proceeded  to  demonstrate  by  example  the  hardships  of 
submitting  any  longer  to  tariffs  for  protection.  The  example 
was  to  this  effect: — The  Northern  farmer  clips  his  hundred 
bales  of  wool,  and  the  Southern  planter  picks  his  hundred 
bales  of  cotton.  So  far  they  are  equal,  for  the  government 
affords  to  each  equal  protection  in  person  and  property.  That's 
fair,  and  there  is  no  complaint.  But  the  government  would 
not  stop  here.  It  went  further — protected  this  industry  of  one 
section  and  taxed  that  of  the  other ;  for  though  it  suited  the 
farmer's  interest  and  convenience  to  send  his  wool  to  a  New 
England  mill  to  have  it  made  into  cloth,  it  also  suited  in  a  like 
degree  the  Southern  planter  to  send  his  cotton  to  Old  England 
to  have  it  made  into  calico.  And  now  came  the  injustice  and  the 
grievance.  They  both  prefer  the  Charleston  market,  and  they 
both,  the  illustration  assumed,  arrived  by  sea  the  same  day  and 
proceeded  together,  each  with  his  invoice  of  one  hundred  bales, 
to  the  custom-house.  There  the  Northern  man  is  told  that  ho 
may  land  his  one  hundred  bales  duty  free ;  but  the  Southern 
man  is  required  to  leave  forty  of  his  in  the  custom-house  for 
the  privilege  of  landing  the  remaining  sixty.*  It  was  in  vain 
for  the  Southerner  to  protest  or  to  urge,  *  You  make  us  pay  boun- 
ties to  Northern  fishermen  under  the  plea  that  it  is  a  nursery 
for  seamen.  Is  not  the  fetching  and  carrying  of  Southern  cot- 
ton across  the  sea  in  Southern  ships  as  much  a  nursery  for 

*The  tariff  at  that  time  was  forty  per  cent. 


240  THE  DAVIS  MEMOniAL  VOLUME. 

3eamen  as  the  catching  of  codfish  in  Yankee  smacks?  But 
instead  of  allowing  us  a  bounty  for  this,  you  exact  taxes  and 
require  protection  for  our  Northern  fellow-citizens  at  the  expense 
of  Southern  industry  and  enterprise.'  The  complaints  against 
the  tariff  were  at  the  end  of  ten  or  twelve  years  followed  by 
another  compromise  in  the  shape  of  a  modified  tariff,  by  which 
the  South  again  gained  nothing  and  the  Korth  everything. 
The  effect  was  simply  to  lessen,  not  to  abolish,  the  tribute  money 
exacted  for  the  benefit  of  Northern  industries. 

"  Fifteen  years  before  the  war  it  was  stated  officially  from  the 
treasury  department  in  Washington,  that  under  the  tariff  then 
in  force  the  self-sustaining  industry  of  the  country  was  taxed 
in  this  indirect  way  in  the  sum  of  $80,000,000  annually,  none 
of  which  went  into  the  coffers  of  the  government,  but  all  into 
the  pocket  of  the  protected  manufacturer.  The  South,  more- 
over, complained  of  the  unequal  distribution  of  the  public 
expenditures ;  of  unfairness  in  protecting,  buoying,  light- 
ing, and  surveying  the  coasts,  and  laid  her  complaints  on 
grounds  like  these :  for  every  mile  of  sea  front  in  the  North 
there  are  four  in  the  South,  yet  there  were  four  well-equipped 
dock-yards  iu  i:he  North  to  one  in  the  South;  large  sums  of 
money  had  been  '^'xpended  for  Northern,  small  for  Southern 
defenses ;  navigation  of  the  Southern  coast  was  far  more  diffi- 
cult and  dangerous  than  that  of  the  Northern,  yet  the  latter 
was  better  lighted;  and  the  Southern  coast  was  not  surveyed 
by  the  government  until  it  had  first  furnished  Northern  ship- 
owners with  good  charts  for  navigating  their  waters  and  enter- 
ing their  harbors. 

"Thus  dealt  bv,  there  was  cumulative  dissatisfaction  in  the 
Southern  mind  towards  the  Federal  government,  and  Southern 
men  began  to  aek  each  other,  '  Should  we  not  be  better  off  out 
of  the  Union  than  we  are  in  it?' — nay,  the  public  discontent 
rose  to  such  a  pitch  in  consequence  of  the  tariff,  that  nullifi- 
cation was  threatened,  and  the  existence  of  the  Union  was 
again  seriously  imperilled,  and  dissolution  might  have  ensued 
had  not  Virginia  stepped  in  with  her  wise  counsels.  She 
poured  oil  upon  the  festering  sores  in  the  Southern  mind,  and 
did  what  she  could  in  the  interests  of  peace ;  but  the  wound 
could  not  be  f^ntirely  healed ;  Northern  archers  had  hit  too  deep. 

"The  WashingLon  government  was  fast  drifting  towards  cen- 
tralization and  +he  result  of  all  this  Federal  partiality,  of  this 
unequal  protection  and  encouragement,  was  that  New  England 
and  the  North  licurished  and  prospered  as  no  people  have  ever 
done  in  mod^r-r:  ''■imes.  Sc'-^nes  enacted  in  the  Old  World, 
twenty-eignt  nundred  years  ago,  seemed  now  on  the  eve  of  repe- 


WAS  DA  VJS  A   TRAITOR  f  241 

fition  in  the  now.  About  the  year  915  B.  C,  the  twelve  Iribos 
concoived  the  idea  of  making  themselves  a  great  nation  by 
centralization.  Thoy  established  a  government  which,  in 
three  generations,  by  reason  of  similar  burdens  upon  the  peo- 
ple, ended  in  permanent  separation.  Solomon  taxed  heavily 
to  build  the  temple  and  dazzle  the  nation  with  the  splendor  of 
his  capital;  his  expenditures  Avere  profuse,  and  he  made  his 
name  and  kingdom  fill  the  world  with  their  renown.  He  died 
one  hundred  years  after  Saul  was  annointed,  and  then  Jerusa- 
lem and  the  temple  being  finished,  the  ten  tribes — supposing 
the  necessity  of  further  taxation  had  ceased — petitioned  Reho- 
boam  for  a  reduction  of  taxes,  a  repeal  of  the  tariff.  Their 
petition  was  scorned,  and  the  world  knows  the  result.  The  teu 
tribes  seceded  in  a  body,  and  there  was  war;  so  thus  there  re- 
mained to  the  house  of  David  only  the  tribes  of  Benjamin  and 
Judah,  They,  like  the  North,  had  received  the  benetit  of  this 
taxation.  The  chief  part  of  the  enormous  expenditures  was 
made  within  their  borders,  and  they,  like  New  England,  flour- 
i=;hed  and  prospered  at  the  expense  of  their  brethren. 

"By  the  constitution,  a  citizen  of  the  South  had  a  right  to 
pursue  his  fugitive  slave  into  any  of  the  States,  apprehend  and 
Ijring  him  back;  but  so  unfriendly  had  the  North  become 
towards  the  South,  and  so  regardless  of  her  duties  under  the 
constitution,  that  Southern  citizens,  in  pursuing  and  attempt- 
ing to  apprehend  runaway  negroes  in  the  North,  were  thrown 
into  jail,  maltreated  and  insulted  despite  of  their  rights.  North- 
ern ])eople  loaded  the  mails  for  the  South  with  inflammatory 
puI)lications  inciting  the  negroes  to  revolt,  and  encouraging 
them  to  rise  up,  in  servile  insurrection,  and  murder  their  own- 
ers. Like  tampering  with  the  negroes  was  one  among  the  causes 
which  led  Virginia  into  her  original  proposition  to  the  other 
colonisis,  that  they  should  all,  for  the  common  good  and  com- 
mon safety,  separate  themselves  from  Great  Britain  and  strike 
for  independent  existence.  In  a  resolution  unanimously  adopted 
in  convention  for  a  declaration  of  such  independence,  it  is  urged 
that  the  King's  representative  in  Virginia  Avas  'tempting  our 
elaves  by  every  artifice  to  resort  to  him,  and  training  and  em- 
ploying them  agamsttheirmasters.''"  To  counteract  this  attempt 
by  the  New  England  people  to  do  the  like,  the  legislature  of 
Virginia  and  other  Southern  States  felt  themselves  constrained 
to  curtail  the  privileges  of  the  slave,  to  increase  the  patrol,  and 
for  the  public  safety  to  enact  severe  laws  against  the  black  man. 
This  grated  upon  the  generous  feelings  of  our  people  the  more, 

*ReRolntions  of  Vimiuia  for  a  Declarntiou  ot  Independence,  vmanimously  adopted  15th 
May,  l/7tj.    Page  1,  Code  of  Virginia,  ISOO. 

16 


242  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

because  they  were  thus  compelled  in  self-defence  to  spread  hate- 
ful laws  upon  the  statute-book  of  their  State,  and  subject  her 
fair  fame  to  invidious  criticisms  by  posterity,  and  this  in  con- 
sequence of  the  repeated  attempt  of  the  Northern  people  to 
tamper  with  the  negroes  and  interfere  wdth  our  domestic  affairs. 
It  was  a  shaft  that  sank  deep  and  rankled  long;  it  brought  to 
mind  colonial  times,  and  put  into  Southern  heads  the  idea  of 
another  separation.  But  this  was  not  all.  Societies  were  formed 
in  the  North  to  encourage  our  negroes  to  escape  and  to  harbor 
the  runaways;  emissaries  came  down  to  inveigle  them  away; 
and  while  they  were  engaged  at  this,  the  Northern  States 
aided  and  abetted  by  passing  acts  prohibiting  their  officers 
to  assist  the  Southern  citizen  in  the  capture  of  runaways,  and 
hindering  him  .from  doing  it  himself.  At  length  things  came  to 
such  a  pass  that  a  Southern  gentleman,  notwithstanding  his 
right,  dared  not  when  he 'went  to  the  North,  either  on  business 
or  pleasure,  to  carry  with  him,  as  he  formerly  did,  a  body  ser- 
vant. More  harsh  still — delicate  mothers  and  emaciated  in- 
valids with  their  nurses,  though  driven  from  their  Southern 
homes,  as  they  often  are,  by  pestilence  or  plague,  dared  not 
seek  refuge  in  the  more  bracing  climates  of  the  North ;  they 
were  liable  to  be  mobbed  and  to  see  their  servants  taken  away 
by  force,  and  when  that  was  done,  they  found  that  Northern 
laws  afforded  no  protection.  In  short,  our  people  had  no  longer 
equal  rights  in  a  common  country. 

"  Finally,  the  aggressive  and  fanatical  spirit  of  the  North  ran 
to  such  a  pitch  against  us,  that  just  before  the  Southern  people 
began  to  feel  that  patience  and  forbearance  were  both  exhausted, 
a  band  of  raiders,  fitted  out  and  equipped  in  the  North,  came 
down  upon  Virginia  with  sword  and  spear  in  hand.  They  com- 
menced in  the  dead  of  night  to  murder  our  citizens,  to  arm  the 
slaves,  encouraging  them  to  rise  up,  burn  and  rob,  kill  and  slay 
throughout  the  South.  The  ringleader  was  caught,  tried,  and 
hung.  Northern  people  regarded  him  as  a  martyr  in  a  right- 
eous cause.  His  body  was  carried  to  the  North;  they  paid 
homage  to  his  remains,  sang  peeans  to  his  memory,  and  amidst 
jeers  and  taunts  for  Virginia,  which  to  this  day  are  reverberated 
through  the  halls  of  Congress,  enrolled  his  name  as  one  who 
had  deserved  well  of  his  country. 

"  These  acts  were  highly  calculated  to  keep  the  Southern  mind 
in  a  feverish  state  and  in  an  unfriendly  mood ;  and  there  were 
other  influences  at  work  to  excite  sectional  feelings  and  beget 
just  indignation  among  the  Southern  people.  The  North  was 
commercial,  the  South  agricultural.  Through  their  fast-sailing 
packets  and  steamers,  Northern  people  were  in  constant  com- 


Was  t)A  VIS  A  TRAITOR  f  24d 

munication  with  foreign  nations;  the  South  rarely,  except 
through  the  North.  Northern  men  and  Northern  society  took- 
advantage  of  this  circumstance  to  our  prejudice.  They  de- 
famed the  South  and  abused  the  European  mind  with  libels 
and  slanders  and  evil  reports  against  us  of  a  heinous  character. 
They  represented  Southern  people  as  a  lawless  and  violent  set» 
where  men  and  women  were  without  shame.  They  asserted, 
Avith  all  the  effrontery  of  impudent  falsehood,  that  the  chief 
occupation  of  the  gentlemen  of  Virginia  was  the  In-ocdnig  of 
slaves  like  cattle  for  the  more  Southern  markets.  To  this  day  the 
whole  South  IS  suffering  under  this  defamation  of  character; 
for  it  is  well  known  that  emigrants  from  Europe  now  refuse  to 
come  and  settle  in  Virginia  and  the  South  on  account  of  their 
belief  in  the  stories  against  us  with  which  their  minds  have 
been  poisoned. 

"This  long  list  of  grievances  does  not  end  here.  The  popu- 
lation of  the  North  had,  by  reason  of  the  vast  numbers  of  for- 
eigners that  had  been  induced  to  settle  there,  become  so  great 
that  the  balance  of  power  in  Congress  was  completely  destroyed. 
The  Northern  people  became  more  tyrannical  in  their  disposi- 
tion, Congress  more  aggressive  in  their  policy.  In  every  branch 
of  the  government  the  South  was  in  a  hopeless  minority,  and 
completely  at  the  mercy  of  an  unscrupulous  majority  for  their 
rights  in  the  Union.  Emboldened  by  their  popular  majorities 
on  the  hustings,  the  master  spirits  of  the  North  now  pro- 
claimed the  approach  of  an  'irrepressible  conflict'  with  the 
South,  and  their  representative  men  in  Congress  preached 
the  doctrine  of  a  'higher  law,'  confessing  that  the  policy 
about  to  be  pursued  in  relation  to  Southern  atfairs  was  dic- 
tated by  a  rule  of  conduct  unknown  to  the  constitution,  not 
contained  in  the  bible,  but  sanctioned,  as  they  said,  by  some 
higher  laio  than  the  bible  itself.  Thus  finding  ourselves  at  the 
mercy  of  faction  and  fanaticism,  the  presidential  election  for 
1860  drew  nigh.  The  time  for  putting  candidates  in  the  field 
was  at  hand.  The  North  brought  out  their  candidate,  and  by 
their  platform  pledged  him  to  acts  of  unfriendly  legislation 
against  us.  The  South  warned  the  North  and  protested,  the 
political  leaders  in  some  of  the  Southern  States  publicly  declar- 
ing that  if  Mr.  Lincoln,  their  nominee,  were  elected,  the  States 
would  not  remain  in  the  Union.  He  was  truly  a  sectional  can- 
didate. He  received  no  vote  in  the  South,  but  was,  under  the 
provision  of  the  constitution,  duly  elected  nevertheless  ;  for  now 
the  poll  of  the  North  was  large  enough  to  elect  whom  she  pleased. 
"  When  the  result  of  this  election  was  announced.  South  Caro- 
na  and  the  Gulf  States  each  proceeded  to  call  a  convention  of 


244  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

her  people ;  and  they,  in  the  exercise  of  their  inalienahh  right  to 
alter  and  abolish  the  form  of  government  and  to  institute  a 
new  one,  resolved  to  withdraw  from  the  Union  peaceably,  if  they 
could.  They  felt  themselves  clear  as  to  their  right,  and  thrice- 
armed;  for  they  remembered  that  they  were  sovereign  people, 
and  called  to  mind  those  precious  rights  that  had  "been  sol- 
emnly proclaimed,  and  in  which  and  for  which  we  and  our 
fathers  before  us  had  the  most  abiding  faith,  reverence  and 
belief.  Prominent  among  these  was,  as  we  have  seen,  the  right 
of  each  one  of  these  States  to  consult  her  own  welfare  and  with- 
draw or  remain  in  the  Union  in  obedience  to  its  dictates  and 
the  judgment  of  her  own  people.  So  they  sent  commissioners 
to  Washington  to  propose  a  settlement,  the  Confederate  States 
offering  to  assume  their  quota  of  the  debt  of  the  United  States, 
and  asking  for  their  share  of  the  common  property.  This  was 
refused. 

"In  the  meantime  Virginia  assembled  her  people  in  grand 
council  too ;  but  she  refused  to  come  near  the  Confederate  States 
in  their  councils.  She  had  laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  Union, 
her  sons  were  its  chief  architects ;  and  though  she  felt  that  she 
and  her  sister  States  had  been  wronged  without  cause,  and  had 
reason,  good  and  sufficient,  for  withdrawing  from  a  political 
association  which  no  longer  afforded  domestic  tranquility,  or 
promoted  the  general  welfare,  or  answered  its  purposes,  yet  her 
love  for  the  Union  and  the  constitution  was  strong,  and  the  idea 
of  pulling  down,  without  having  first  exhausted  all  her  persua- 
sives, and  tried  all  means  to  save  what  had  cost  her  so  much,  was 
intolerable.  She  thought  the  time  for  separation  had  not  come, 
and  waited  first  to  try  her  own  '  mode  and  measure  of  redress ;' 
she  considered  that  it  should  not  be  such  as  the  Confeder- 
ate States  had  adopted.  Moreover,  by  standing  firm  she  hoped 
to  heal  the  breach,  as  she  had  done  on  several  occasions  before. 
She  asked  all  the  States  to  meet  her  in  a  peace  congress.  They 
did  so,  and  the  North  being  largely  in  the  majority,  threw  out 
Southern  propositions  and  rejected  all  the  efforts  of  Virginia 
at  conciliation.  North  Carolina,  Tennessee,  Arkansas  all 
remained  in  the  Union,  awaiting  the  action  of  our  State,  who 
urged  the  Washington  government  not  to  attempt  to  coerce  the 
seceded  States,  or  force  them  with  sword  and  bayonet  back  into 
the  Union — a  thing,  she  held,  which  the  charter  that  created 
the  government  gave  it  no  authority  to  do. 

"  Eegardless  of  these  wise  counsels  and  of  all  her  rightful 
powers,  the  North  mustered  an  army  to  come  against  the 
South  ;  whereupon,  seeing  the  time  had  come,  and  claiming 
the  right  which  she  had  especially  reserved  not  only  for  her- 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TRAITOR?  245 

self,  but  for  all  the  States,  to  withdraw  from  the  Union,  the 
grand  old  Commonwealth  did  not  hesitate  to  use  it.  She  pre- 
pared to  meet  the  emergency.  Her  people  had  already  been 
assembled  in  convention,  and  they,  in  the  persons  of  their 
representatives,  passed  the  Ordinance  of  Secession,  which 
separated  her  from  the  North  and  South,  and  left  her 
alone,  again  a  free,  sovereign  and  independent  State.  This 
done^  she  sounded  the  notes  of  warlike  preparation.  She  called 
upon  her  sons  who  were  in  the  service  of  the  Washington  gov- 
ernment to  confess  their  allegiance  to  her,  resign  their  places, 
and  rally  around  her  standard.  The  true  men  among  them 
^ame.  In  a  few  days  she  had  an  army  of  60,000  men  in  the 
field;  but  her  policy  was  still  peace,  armed  peace,  not  war. 
Assuming  the  attitude  of  defence,  she  said  to  the  powers  of  the 
North,  '  Let  no  hostile  foot  cross  my  borders.'  Nevertheless 
they  came  with  fire  and  sword;  battle  »wa8  joined;  victory 
crowned  her  banners  on  many  a  well-fought  field ;  but  she  and 
her  sister  States  cut  off  from  the  outside  world  by  the  navy 
which  they  had  helped  to  establish  for  the  common  defence, 
battled  together  against  fearful  odds  at  home  for  four  long 
years,  but  were  at  last  overpowered  by  mere  numbers,  and  then 
came  disaster.  Her  sons  who  fell  died  in  defence  of  their  coun- 
try, their  homes,  their  rights,  and  all  that  makes  native  land 
dear  to  the  hearts  of  men." 

"We  next  give  the  famous  '^Botetourt  Resolutions"  prepared 
by  the  able  and  accomplished  Judge  John  J.  Allen,  of  the  Vir- 
ginia Supreme  Court,  and  deserving  to  rank  among  the  classics 
of  political  literature. 

PREAMBLE.  AND  RESOLUTION. 

Offered  in  a  large  mass  meeting  of  the  people  of  Botetourt  County, 
Deceml)er  10th,  1860,  by  the  Hon.  John  J.  Allen,  President  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Virginia,  and  adopted  with  but  two  dissenting 
voices. 

"The  people  of  Botetourt  county,  in  general  meeting  assem- 
bled, believe  it  to  be  the  duty  of  all  the  citizens  of  the  Com- 
monwealth, in  the  present  alarming  condition  of  our  country, 
to  give  some  expression  of  their  opinion  upon  the  threatening 
aspect  of  public  affairs.  They  deem  it  unnecessary  and  out  of 
place  to  avow  sentiments  of  loyalty  to  the  constitution  and 
devotion  to  the  Union  of  these  States.  A  brief  reference  to  the 
part  the  State  has  acted  in  the  past  will  furnish  the  best  evi- 
dence of  the  feelings  of  her  eons  in  regard  to  the  Union  of  the 


246  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  VME. 

States  and  the  constitution,  which  is  the  sole  bond  which  binds 
them  together. 

"  In  the  controversies  with  the  mother  country  growing  out 
of  the  efforts  of  the  latter  to  tax  the  colonies  without  their  con- 
sent, it  was  Virginia  who,  by  the  resolutions  against  the  stamp 
act,  gave  the  example  of  the  first  authoritative  resistance  by  a 
legislative  body  to  the  British  government,  and  bo  imparted  the 
first  impulse  to  the  Revolution. 

"  Virginia  declared  her  independence  before  any  of  the  colo- 
nies, and  gave  the  first  written  constitution  to  mankind. 

"By  her  instructions  her  representatives  in  the  General  Con- 
gress introduced  a  resolution  to  declare  the  colonies  indepen- 
dent States,  and  the  declaration  itself  was  written  by  one  of 
her  sons. 

"She  furnished  to  the  Confederate  States  the  father  of  his 
country,  under  whose  guidance  independence  was  achieved,  and 
the  rights  and  liberties  of  each  State,  it  was  hoped,  perpetually 
established. 

"  She  stood  undismayed  through  the  long  night  of  the  Revo- 
lution, breasting  the  storm  of  war  and  pouring  out  the  blood  of 
her  sons  like  water  on  almost  every  battle-field,  from  the  ram- 
parts of  Quebec  to  the  sands  of  Georgia. 

"  By  her  own  unaided  efforts  the  northwestern  territory  was 
conquered,  whereby  the  Mississippi,  instead  of  the  Ohio  river, 
was  recognized  as  the  boundary  of  the  United  States  by  the 
treaty  of  peace. 

"  To  secure  harmony,  and  as  an  evidence  of  her  estimate  of 
the  value  of  the  Union  of  the  States,  she  ceded  to  all  for  their 
common  benefit  this  magnificent  region — an  empire  in  itself. 

"  When  the  articles  of  confederation  were  shown  to  be  inade- 
quate to  secure  peace  and  tranquility  at  home  and  respect 
abroad,  Virginia  first  moved  to  bring  about  a  more  perfect  Union. 

"At  her  instance  the  first  assemblage  of  commissioners  took 
place  at  Annapolis,  which  ultimately  led  to  the  meeting  of  the 
convention  which  formed  the  present  constitution. 

"  This  instrument  itself  was  in  a  great  measure  the  produc- 
tion of  one  of  her  sons,  who  has  been  justly  styled  the  father  of 
the  constitution. 

"The  government  created  by  it  was  put  into  operation  with 
her  Washington,  the  father  of  his  country,  at  its  liead ;  lier 
Jefferson,  the  author  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  in  his 
cabinet ;  her  Madison,  the  great  advocate  of  the  constitution, 
in  the  legislative  hall. 

"  Under  the  leading  of  Virginia  statesmen  the  Revolution  of 
1798  was  brought  about,  Louisiana  was  acquired,  and  the  seo- 
otnd  war  of  iudepeudeuce  was  waged. 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TRAITOIU  247 

"Throughout  the  whole  progress  of  the  Republic  she  ha8 
never  infringed  on  the  rights  of  any  State,  or  asked  or  received 
any  exclusive  benefit. 

"  On  the  contrary,  she  has  been  the  first  to  vindicate  the 
equality  of  all  the  States,  the  smallest  as  well  as  the  greatest. 

"But  claiming  no  exclusive  benefit  for  hpr  efforts  and  sacri- 
fices in  the  common  cause,  she  had  a  right  to  look  for  feelings 
of  frateroity  and  kindness  for  her  citizens  from  the  citizens  of 
other  States,  and  equality  of  rights  for  her  citizens  with  all 
others;  that  those  for  whom  she  had  done  so  much  would 
abstain  from  actual  aggressions  upon  her  soil,  or  if  they  could 
not  be  prevented,  would  show  themselves  ready  and  prompt  in 
punishing  the  aggressors ;  and  that  the  common  government, 
to  the  promotion  of  which  she  contributed  bo  largely  for  the 
purpose  of  'establishing  justice  and  insuring  domestic  tran- 
quility,' would  not,  whilst  the- forms  of  the  constitution  were 
observed,  be  so  perverted  in  spirit  as  to  inflict  wrong  and  injus- 
tice and  produce  universal  insecurity. 

"  These  reasonable  expectations  have  been  greviously  disap- 
pointed. 

"  Owing  to  a  spirit  of  pharasaical  fanaticism  prevailing  in 
the  North  in  reference  to  the  institution  of  slavery,  incited  by 
foreign  emissaries  and  fostered  by  corrupt  political  demagogues 
in  search  of  power  and  place,  a  feeling  has  been  aroused  between 
the  people  of  the  two  sections,  of  what  was  once  a  common 
country,  which  of  itself  would  almost  preclude  the  adminis- 
tration of  a  united  government  in  harmony. 

"  For  the  kindly  feelings  of  a  kindred  people  we  find  substi- 
tuted distrust,  suspicion  and  mutual  aversion. 

"  For  a  common  pride  in  the  name  of  American,  we  find  one 
section  even  in  foreign  lands  pursuing  the  other  with  revilings 
and  reproach. 

"  For  the  religion  of  a  Divine  Redeemer  of  all,  we  find  a 
religion  of  hate  against  a  part;  and  in  all  the  private  relations 
of  life,  instead  of  fraternal  regard,  a  'consuming  hate,'  which 
has  but  seldom  characterized  warring  nations. 

"  This  feeling  has  prompted  a  hostile  incursion  upon  our 
own  soil,  and  an  apotheosis  of  the  murderers,  who  were  justly 
condemned  and  executed. 

"It  has  shown  itself  in  the  legislative  halls  by  the  passage 
of  laws  to  obstruct  a  law  of  Congress  passed  in  pursuance  of  a 
plain  provision  of  the  constitution. 

"  It  has  been  manifested  by  the  industrious  circulation  of 
incendiary  publications,  sanctioned  by  leading  men,  occupying 
the  highest  stations  in  the  gift  of  the  people,  to  produce  discord 


248  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  Volume. 

and  division  in  our  midst,  and  incite  to  midnight  murder  and 

every  Imaginable  atrocity  against  an  unoffending  community. 

"  It  has  displayed  itself  in  a  persistent  denial  of  the  equal 
rights  of  the  citizens  of  each  State  to  settle  with  their  property 
in  the  common  territory  acquired  by  the  blood  and  treasure  of  all. 

"  It  is  shown  in  their  openly  avowed  determination  to  cir- 
cumscribe the  institution  of  slavery  within  the  territory  of  the 
States  now  recognizing  it,  the  inevitable  effect  of  which  would 
be  to  fill  the  present  slaveholding  States  with  an  ever  increas- 
ing negro  population,  resulting  in  the  banishment  of  our  own 
non-slaveliolding  population  in  the  first  instance,  and  the 
eventual  surrender  of  our  country  to  a  barbarous  race,  or,  what 
seems  to  be  desired,  an  amalgamation  with  the  African. 

"  And  it  has  at  last  culminated  in  the  election,  by  a  sectional 
majority  of  the  free  States  alone,  to  the  first  ofhce  in  the  repub- 
lic, of  the  author  of  the  sentiment  that  there  qs  an  '  irrepressi- 
ble conflict '  between  free  and  slave  labor,  and  that  there  must 
be  universal  freedom  or  universal  siavery ;  a  sentiment  which 
inculcates,  as  a  necessity  of  our  situation,  warfare  between  the 
two  sections  of  our  country  without  cessation  or  intermission 
until  the  weaker  is  reduced  to  subjection. 

"In  view  cf  this  state  of  thiugs,  we  are  not  inclined  to 
rebuke  or  censure  the  people  of  any  of  our  sister  States  of  the 
South,  suffering  from  injury,  goaded  by  insults,  and  threatened 
with  such  outrages  and  wrongs,  for  tUeir  bold  determination  to 
relieve  themselves  irom  such  injustice  and  oppression,  by  resort- 
ing to  their  ultimate  and  sovereign  right  to  dissolve  the  com- 
pact which  they  had  formed  and  to  provide  new  guards  for  their 
future  security. 

*'  Nor  have  we  any  doubt  of  the  right  of  any  State,  there 
being  no  common  umpire  between  coequal  sovereign  States,  to 
judge  for  itself  on  its  own  responsibility,  as  to  the  mode  and 
measure  of  redress. 

"  The  States,  each  for  itself,  exercised  this  sovereign  power 
when  they  dissolved  their  connection  with  the  British  Empire. 

"They  exercised  the  same  power  when  nine  of  the  States 
seceded  from  the  confederation  and  adopted  the  present  consti- 
tution, though  two  States  at  first  rejected  it. 

*'  The  articles  of  confederation  stipulated  that  those  articles 
should  be  inviolably  observed  by  every  State,  and  that  the 
Union  should  be  perpetual,  and  that  no  alteration  should  be 
made  unless  agreed  to  by  Congress  and  confirmed  by  every 
State. 

"Notwithstanding  this  solemn  compact,  a  portion  of  the 
States  did,  without  the  consent  of  the  others,  form  a  new  com- 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TRAITOR?  249 

pact;  and  there  is  nothing  to  show,  or  by  which  it  can  be 
shown,  that  this  right  has  been,  or  can  be,  diminished  so  long 
as  the  States  continue  sovereign. 

"  The  confederation  was  assented  to  by  the  legislature  for  each 
State ;  the  constitution  by  the  people  of  each  State  of  such 
State  alone.     One  is  as  binding  as  the  other,  and  no  more  bo. 

"  The  constitution,  it  is  true,  established  a  government,  and 
it  operates  directly  on  the  individual ;  the  confederation  was  a 
league  operating  primarily  on  the  States.  But  each  was  adopted 
by  the  State  for  itself;  in  the  one  case  by  the  legislature  acting 
for  the  State;  in  the  other  '  by  the  people  not  as  individuals 
composing  one  nation,  but  as  composing  the  distinct  and  inde- 
pendent States  to  which  they  respectively  belong.' 

"The  foundation,  therefore,  on  which  it  was  established  was 
federal^  and  the  State,  in  the  exercise  of  the  same  sovereign 
authority  by  which  she  ratified  for  herself,  may  for  herself 
abrogate  and  annul. 

"The  operation  of  its  power,  whilst  the  State  remains  in  the 
Confederacy,  is  national;  and  consequently  a  State  remaining 
in  the  Confederacy  and  enjoying  its  benefits  cannot,  by  any 
mode  of  procedure,  withdraw  its  citizens  from  the  obligation  to 
obey  the  constitution  and  the  laws  passed  in  pursuance  thereof. 

"But  when  a  State  does  secede,  the  constitution  and  laws 
of  the  United  States  cease  to  operate  therein.  No  power  is 
conferred  on  Congress  to  enforce  them.  Such  authority  was 
denied  to  the  Congress  in  the  convention  which  framed  the 
constitution,  because  it  would  be  an  act  of  war  of  nation  against 
nation — not  the  exercise  of  the  legitimate  power  of  a  govern- 
ment to  enforce  its  laws  on  those  subject  to  its  jurisdiction. 

"  The  assumption  of  such  a  power  would  be  the  assertion  of 
a  prerogative  claimed  by  the  British  government  to  legislate 
for  the  colonies  in  all  cases  whatever;  it  would  constitute  of 
itselt  a  dangerous  attack  on  the  rights  of  the  States,  and  should 
be  promptly  repelled, 

"  These  principles,  resulting  from  the  nature  of  our  system 
of  confederate  States,  cannot  admit  of  question  in  Virginia. 

"Our  people  in  convention,  by  their  act  of  ratification,  de- 
clared and  made  known  that  the  powers  granted  under  the  con- 
stitution being  derived  from  the  people  of  the  United  States, 
may  be  resumed  by  them  whenever  they  shall  be  perverted  to 
their  injury  and  oppression. 

"  From  what  people  were  these  powers  derived?  Confessedly 
from  the  people  of  each  State,  acting  for  themselves.  By  whom 
were  they  to  be  resumed  or  taken  back?  By  the  people  of  the 
State  who  were  then  granting  them  away.    \VTio  were  to  deter- 


250  TSE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME, 

mine  whether  the  powers  granted  had  been  perverted  to  their 
injury  or  oppression  ?  Not  the  whole  people  of  the  United 
States,  for  there  could  be  no  oppression  of  the  whole  with  their 
own  consent;  and  it  could  not  have  entered  into  the  conception 
of  the  convention  that  the  powers  granted  could  not  be  resumed 
until  the  oppressor  himself  united  in  such  resumption. 

"  They  asserted  the  right  to  resume  in  order  to  guard  the 
people  of  Virginia,  for  whom  alone  the  convention  could  act, 
against  the  oppression  of  an  irresponsible  and  sectional  major- 
ity, the  worst  form  of  oppression  wdth  which  an  angry  Provi- 
dence has  ever  afliicted  humanity. 

"  Whilst,  therefore,  we  regret  that  any  State  should,  in  a  mat- 
ter of  common  grievance,  have  determined  to  act  for  herself 
without  consulting  with  her  sister  States  equally  aggrieved,  we 
are,  nevertheless,  constrained  to  say  that  the  occasion  iustifies 
and  loudly  calls  for  action  of  some  kind. 

"The  election  of  a  President,  by  a  sectional  majority,  as  the 
representative  of  the  principles  referred  to,  clothed  with  the 
patronage  and  power  incident  to  the  office,  including  the  autho- 
rity to  appoint  all  the  postmasters  and  other  officers  charged 
with  the  execution  of  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  is  itself  a 
standing  menace  to  the  South — a  direct  assault  upon  her  in- 
stitutions— an  incentive  to  robbery  and  insurrection,  requiring 
from  our  own  immediate  local  government,  in  its  sovereign  cha- 
racter, prompt  action  to  obtain  additional  guarantees  for 
equality  and  security  in  the  Union,  or  to  take  measures  for 
protection  and  security  without  it. 

*'  In  view,  therefore,  of  the  present  condition  of  our  country, 
und  the  causes  of  it,  we  declare  almost  iu  the  words  of  our 
fathers,  contained  in  an  address  of  the  freeholders  of  Bote- 
tourt, in  February,  1775,  to  the  delegates  from  Virginia  to  the 
Continental  Congress,  '  That  we  desire  no  change  in  our  gov- 
ernment whilst  left  to  the  free  enjoyment  of  our  equal  privi- 
leges secured  by  the  constitution;  but  that  should  a  wicked  and 
tyrannical  sectional  majority^  under  the  sanction  of  the  forms 
of  the  constitution,  persist  in  acts  of  injustice  and  violence 
towards  us,  they  only  must  be  answ^erable  for  the  consequences.' 

" '  That  liberty  is  so  strongly  impressed  upon  our  hearts  that 
we  cannot  think  of  parting  with  it  but  with  our  lives ;  that 
our  duty  to  God,  our  country,  ourselves  and  our  posterity  for- 
bid it ;  we  stand,  therefore,  prepared  for  every  contingency,' 

"  Resolved  therefore,  That  in  view  of  the  facts  set  out  in  the 
foregoing  preamble,  it  is  the  opinion  of  this  meeting  that  a 
convention  of  the  people  should  be  called  forthwith ;  that  the 
State,  in  its  sovereign  character,  should  consult  with  the  other 


WAS  DA  VIS  A  TRAITOR  f 


251 


Southern  States,  and  agree  upon  such  guarantees  as  in  their 
opinion  will  secure  their  equality,  tranquility  and  rights  within 
the  Union  ;  and  in  the  event  of  a  failure  to  obtain  such  guaran- 
tees, to  adopt  in  concert  with  the  other  Southern  States,  or  alone, 
such  measures  as  may  seem  most  expedient  to  protect  the 
rights  and  insure  the  safety  of  the  people  of  Virginia. 

"And  in  the  event  of  a  change  in  our  relations  to  the  other 
States  being  rendered  necessary,  that  the  convention  so  elected 
should  recommend  to  the  people,  for  their  adoption,  such  alter- 
ations m  our  State  constitution  as  may  adapt  it  to  the  altered 
condition  of  the  State  and  country." 

AVe  quote  the  following  at  the  suggestion  of  friends  in  whose 
judgment  we  have  confidence,  not  as  by  any  means  worthy  of 
a  place  among  the  able  papers  we  are  presenting,  nor  as  a  full 
treatment  of  the  question,  but  simply  as  a  popular  hit  bach  at  ]\Ir. 
Rossiter  Johnson,  who  wrote  in  the  Neio  York  Examiner,  and 
has  since  published  in  book  form,  a  so-called  "History  of  the 
War." 

THE  SECESSION  OF  VIRGINIA. 

BY  J.   AVM.   JONES. 

"I  am  willing  to  believe  that  Mr.  Johnson  has  tried  to  be 
fair,  and  has  presented  the  case  as  he  understands  it.  But  as 
a  Virginian  born  and  reared  on  her  soil,  familiar  with  her  his- 
tory, and  proud  of  her  traditions,  I  especially  desire  to  enter 
my  protest  against  the  account  he  has  given  [see  the  Examiner 
of  November  12th]  of  'The  Secession  of  Virginia.' 

"  The  statement  that  Virginia's  governor  (John  Letcher) 
'  was  an  ardent  disunionist'  exactly  contradicts  the  fact.  Gov- 
ernor Letcher,  up  to  the  issuing  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  proclamation 
calling  for  seventy-five  thousand  troops  to  coerce  the  seceded 
States,  was  an  ardent  '  Union  '  man,  as  were  a  majority  of  the 
people  of  Virginia.  Indeed,  his  attachment  to  the  Union  was 
so  strong — and  his  opposition  to  secession  so  emphatic  and 
outspoken— that  the  secessionists  distrusted  him,  and  their 
chief  organ,  the  Richmond  Examiner,  was  filled  with  abuse  and 
denunciation  of  'our  tortoise  governor,'  'the  submissionist,' 
'the  betrayer  of  the  liberties  of  the  people,'  etc.  Governor 
Letcher  was  in  fullest  accord  with  the  Union  leaders  of  the  Vir- 
ginia convention,  and  refused  every  suggestion  to  call  out 
troops  to  capture  the  navy -yard  at  Portsmouth,  Fortress  IMonroo, 
or  Harper's  Ferry  until  after  the  convention  has  passed  the  ordi- 


252  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

nance  of  secession.  But  he  was,  in  all  of  his  sympathies  and 
feelings,  a  Virginian^  did  not  believe  in  the  right  of  the  gen- 
eral government  to  coerce  a  '  Sovereign  Gtate,'  and  promptly 
responded  to  Mr.  Lincoln's  call  for  Virginia's  quota  of  the  sev- 
enty-five thousand  troops  that  no  troops  'would  be  furnished 
for  any  such  purpose — '  an  object'  which,  in  his  judgment, 
'was  not  within  the  purview  of  the  constitution  or  the  laws.' 
'  You  have/  said  he  to  Mr  Lincoln,  'chosen  to  inaugurate  civil 
war.' 

"But  the  most  remarkable  statement  in  Mr.  Johnson's  article 
is  as  follows : 

"  '  Virginia's  fate  appears  to  have  been  determined  by  a  meas- 
ure that  was  less  spectacular  and  more  coldly  significant.  The 
Confederate  Congress  at  Montgomery  passed  an  act  forbidding 
the  importation  of  slaves  from  States  outside  of  the  Confed- 
eracy. When  Virginia  heard  that,  like  the  young  man  in  scrip- 
ture, she  went  away  sorrowful ;  for  in  that  line  of  trade  she 
had  great  possessions.  The  cultivation  of  land  by  s]ave-lal)or 
had  long  since  ceased  to  be  profitable  in  the  border  States — or 
at  least  it  was  far  less  profitable  than  raising  slaves  for  the  cot- 
ton States,  and  the  acquisition  of  new  territory  in  Texas  and 
Missouri  had  enormously  increased  the  demand.  The  greatest 
part  of  this  business  (sometimes  estimated  as  high  as  one  h.ilf) 
was  Virginia's.  It  was  called  the  '  vigintal  crop,'  as  the  blacks 
were  ready  for  market  and  at  their  highest  value  about  the  age  of 
twenty.  As  it  was  an  ordinary  business  of  bargain  and  sale, 
no  statistics  were  kept ;  but  the  lowest  estimate  of  the  annual 
value  of  th^  trade  in  the  Old  Dominion  placed  it  in  the  tens  of 
millions  of  dollars.  After  Sumter  had  been  fired  on  and  the 
Confederate  Congress  had  forbidden  this  trafiic  to  outsiders, 
the  Virginia  convention  again  took  up  the  ordinance  of  seces- 
sion (April  17th)  and  passed  it  in  secret  session  by  a  vote  of 
83  to  65.' 

"  Now  I  have  to  say  in  reply  to  this : 

"  1.  The  Confederate  Congress  at  Montgomery  passed  no  such 
act  '  forbidding  the  importation  of  slaves  from  States  outside  ol 
the  Confederacy,'  and  absolutely  nothing  of  this  charactei 
whatever.  I  have  before  me  an  official  copy  of  the  statutes  at 
large  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America — a  book,  by  the  way, 
which  I  respectfully  commend  to  Mr.  Johnson  for  his  careful 
study — and  it  contains  no  such  act  or  resolution. 

"2.  Even  if  such  an  act  had  been  passed,  it  would  not  have 
had  the  slightest  effect  upon  the  action  of  Virginia,  for  it  is  a 
slander  alike  upon  the  character  of  her  people  and  the  motives 
which  impelled  her  to  secede  and  join  the  confederacy,  to  rep- 


i[^AS  DAVIS  A  TRAITOR f  253 

resent  her  as  a  cold,  calculating,  negro-trader,  only  influenced 
by  the  hope  of  gain  in  raising  negroes  for  the  Southern  market. 
It  is  not  true  that  'raising  slaves  for  the  cotton  States'  was  an 
'ordinary  business  of  bargain  and  sale,'  worth  annually  'tens 
of  millions  of  dollars  to  Virginia.'  The  truth  is  that  the  ave- 
rage Virginia  planter  would  mortgage  his  plantation  and  well 
nigh  ruin  his  estate  to  support  his  negroes  in  comparative  idle- 
ness before  ho  would  sell  them ;  that  very  few  negroes  were  ever 
sold  except  under  the  sternest  necessity ;  that  the  negro  trader 
was  considered  a  disreputable  member  of  society;  and  that 
'raising  slaves  for  the  market '  is  a  romance  of  abolition  inven- 
tion which  fully  served  its  purpose  in  the  bitter  controversies  of 
the  slavery  agitation,  but  which  an  intelligent  writer  should 
now  be  ashamed  to  drag  forth  again.  Vv^hen  Robert  E.  Lee 
said,  '  Ij  the  millions  of  slaves  at  the  South  ivcre  mine  I  ivould  free 
them  with  a  stroJx  of  the  pen  to  avert  this  war,^  he  but  voiced  the 
sentiments  of  nine-tenths  of  the  people  in  Virginia.  The  truth 
is  that  our  grand  old  commonwealth  has  a  record  on  this  ques- 
tion of  which  she  need  not  be  ashamed.  The  first  slaves  intro- 
duced in  Virginia  were  brought  and  forced  upon  her  colonists 
against  their  protests — and  from  that  day  all  that  were  brought 
to  her  soil  came  in  ships  of  Old  or  Now  England.  When  the 
Federal  constitution  was  adopted  Virginia  favored  the  imme- 
diate abolition  of  the  slave  trade,  and  the  time  for  its  abolition 
was  extended  twenty  years  on  the  demand  of  Massachusetts 
and  other  New  England  States,  and  when  the  slave-trade  was 
abolished  Virginia  voted  for  its  abolition,  while  Massachusetts 
voted  for  its  continuance.  After  giving  with  princely  liberal- 
ity, to  the  general  government  for  the  common  domain,  the 
Northwest  Territory,  out  of  which  the  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana, 
Illinois,  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  and  a  part  of  Minnesota  were 
afterwards  carved,  Virginia  consented  with  surprising  readiness 
to  making  this /rce  territory.  And  there  can  be  but  little  doubt 
that  the  sentiments  of  her  loading  statesmen  would  have  pre- 
vailed, and  Virginia  would  have  adopted  emancipation  measures, 
but  for  the  fact  that,  after  finding  that  slavery  would  not  pay  with 
them,  the  Northern  States  (after  selling  their  own  slaves  and 
pocketing  the  money)  began  a  system  of  warfare  upon  slavery 
which  tended  to  consolidate  and  perpetuate  the  pro-slavery 
sentimont  in  the  State. 

"3.  The  real  reason  of  the  secession  of  Virginia  was  that  she 
considered  that  Mr.  Lincoln's  proclamation  had  'inaugurated 
civil  war,'  and  she  had  simply  to  choose  whether  she  would  take 
sides  with  the  North  or  loiih  the  South  in  the  great  conflict. 

"If  you  could  give  me  space  to  go  into  the  details  I  could 
abundantly  show  that  in  all  the  bitter  controversies  of  the  past 


2S4  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  t7MR 

the  voice  of  Virginia  had  been  on  the  side  of  the  Union — that 
she  had  been  ready  to  make  any  sacrifice,  save  honor,  to  pre- 
serve the  Union  which  her  sons  had  done  so  much  to  form  and 
to  perpetuate. 

"After  other  Southern  States  had  seceded  she  still  voted 
overwhelmingly  against  secession,  called  the  'Peace  Congress' 
which  assembled  at  Washington,  sent  her  commiss'ioners  to  Mr. 
Lincoln  after  his  inaugural,  and  on  bended  knee  begged  for 
peace  and  Union.  But  she  was  equally  emphatic  in  claiming 
that  a  State  had  the  right  to  secede — that  she  had  expressly  reserved 
that  right  when  she  entered  the  original  compact — and  that  the 
general  government  had  no  right  to  coerce  a  State  desiring  to 
secede.  This  she  had  declared  over  and  over  again  by  the  most 
solemn  enactment,  and  her  commissioners  made  her  position 
clear  to  the  authorities  at  Washington.  Two  days,  therefore, 
after  Mr.  Lincoln's  call  for  her  quota  of  troops  to  subjugate 
the  seceded  States,  Virginia  passed  her  ordinance  of  secession 
and  bared  her  breast  to  receive  the  coming  storm. 

"  Equally  untrue  to  the  facts  of  history  is  the  attempt  of  Mr. 
Johnson  to  make  it  appear  that  the  people  of  Virginia  were  not 
then  in  favor  of  secession — that  '  the  governor  turned  over  the 
entire  military  force  and  equipment  of  the  State  to  the  Confed- 
erate authorities ' — and  that  a  vote  against  secession  was  '  im- 
possible,' because  at  the  time  of  the  popular  vote,  '  the  soil  of 
Virginia  was  overrun  by  soldiers  from  the  cotton  States.'  The 
convention,  and  not  the  governor,  formed  the  alliance  with  the 
Confederate  States — the  election  was  one  of  the  fairest  ever  held 
in  America — and  while  the  vote  stood  125,950  in  favor  of  rati- 
fying the  ordinance  of  secession  to  20,373  against  it  (most  of 
these  last  being  cast  in  northwest  Virginia,  where  Federal 
bayonets  did  influence  the  vote) — yet  there  were  no  soldiers  at 
the  polls,  no  tort  of  intimidation  was  used,  and  men  voted  freely 
their  honest  convictions.  The  simple  truth  is,  that  Mr.  Lin- 
coln's proclamation  caused,  the  immediate  secession  of  Virginia, 
and  so  dissipated  the  '  Union '  sentiment  of  the  people,  that 
Hon.  John  B.  Baldwin  (the  Union  leader  of  the  convention,  and 
one  of  the  ablest,  purest  men  the  State  ever  produced)  but  voiced 
the  general  sentiment  when  he  wrote  a  friend  at  the  North — • 
who  had  asked  him  the  day  after  the  proclamation  was  issued* 
'What  will  the  Union  men  of  Virginia  do  now?' — '  We  have  nc 
Union  men  in  Virginia  now,  but  those  whe  loere  '  Union '  men  will 
stand  to  their  guns  and  make  a  fight  v/hich  shall  shine  out  on 
the  page  of  history  as  an  example  of  what  a  brave  people  can 
do  after  exhausting  every  means  of  pacification.' 

"  Yes  ;  old  Virginia  clung  to  the  Union  and  the  constitution 
with  filial  devotion.     The  voice  of  her  Henry  had  first  aroused 


I 


WAS  DA  VIS  A  TP.AITOEf  256 

the  colonies  to  resist  British  oppression.  The  pen  of  her  Jeffer- 
son had  written  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  The  sword 
of  her  Washington  had  made  good  that  Declaration.  The  pen 
of  hor  IMason  had  written  the  constitution,  and  her  great  states- 
men had  expounded  it.  Through  long,  prosperous,  and  happy- 
years  her  sons  had  filled  the  presidential  chair,  and, her  voice 
had  been  potential,  in  cabinet  and  Congress,  in  shaping  the 
destinies  of  the  great  republic  to  whose  prosperity  she  had  con- 
tributed so  largely. 

"But  now  there  had  arisen  'another  king  that  knew  not 
Joseph ' — the  very  fundamental  i:)rinciplcs  of  the  constitution 
were,  in  her  judgment,  subverted — civil  war,  with  all  of  its 
horrors,. had  been  inaugurated,  and  she  must  choose  on  which 
side  she  would  fight.  She  did  not  hesitate  ;  but  knowing  full 
well  that  her  soil  would  be  the  great  battle-field,  she  took  up  the 
'  gage  of  battle  '  and  called  on  her  sons  to  rally  to  her  defence. 
From  mountain-valley  to  the  shores  of  her  resounding  seas — 
from  Alleghany  to  Chesapeake — from  the  Potomac  to  the  North 
Carolina  line — the  call  is  heard  and  there  rush  to  arms  at  the  first 
tap  of  the  drum — not  Hessian  nor  Milesian  mercenaries,  not  a 
band  of  negro-traders  coolly  calculating  how  much  they  could 
make  out  of  a  '  Southern  Confederacy ' — but  the  very  flower  of 
our  Virginia  manhood,  as  true  patriots  as  the  world  ever  saw, 
worthy  sons  of  sires  of  '73. 

"  And  they  did  '  make  a  fight '  which  illustrates  some  of  the 
brightest  pages  of  American  history,  and  of  which  men  at  the 
North  as  well  as  men  at  the  South  are  even  now  beginning  to  be 
proud.  Aye  !  and  the  day  will  come  when  the  story  of  the  par- 
tisan will  rot  into  oblivion,  and  '  the  men  who  Avore  the  gray, ' 
alike  with  '  the  men  who  wore  the  blue, '  will  have  even  justice  at 
the  bar  of  impartial  history." 

But,  after  all,  the  case  is  as  beautifully  and  as  strongly  stated 
in  one  of  the  last  letters  which  Mr.  Davis  ever  wrote,  addressed 
to  the  committee  of  arrangements  for  the  North  Carolina  Cen- 
tennial as  anywhere  else,.  He  states  it  as  regards  the  State 
of  North  Carolina,  but  the  principles  apply  equally  to  all  of 
the  States. 

"  Beauvoir,  Miss.,  October  30,  1889. 

^^  Messrs.  Wharton  J.  Green,  James  C.  McRae,  C.  W.  Broadfoot,  Neil 
W.  Ray,  and  W.  C.  McDuffie,  Charlotte  : 

"  Gentlemen — Your  letter  inviting  me  to  attend  North  Caro- 
lina's centeunial,  to  be  held  at   Fayetteville,  on  the  21st  of 


256  THE  DAVIS  ME3I0BIAL  VOLUME. 

November  next,  was  duly  received,  but  this  acknowledgment 
has  been  delayed  under  the  hope  that  an  improvement  in  my 
health  would  enable  me  to  be  present  as  invited.  As  the  time  ap- 
proaches 1  find  that  cherished  hope  unrealized  and  that  I  must 
regretfully  confess  my  inability  to  join  you  in  the  commemo- 
rative celebration.  It  has  been  my  sincere  wish  to  meet  the 
people  of  the  'Old  North  State'  on  the  occasion  which  will 
naturally  cause  them,  with  just  pride,  to  trace  the  historic  rivei 
of  their  years  to  its  source  in  the  colony  of  Albemarle.  All 
along  that  river  stand  monuments  of  fidelity  to  the  inalienable 
rights  of  the  people,  even  when  an  infant  successfully  resisting 
executive  usurpation,  and  in  the  defense  of  the  privileges 
guaranteed  by  charter,  boldly  defying  kings,  lords,  and  com- 
mons. Always  self-reliant,  yet  not  vainly  self-asserting,  she 
provided  for  her  own  defense,  Avhile  giving  material  aid  to  her 
neighbors,  as  she  regarded  all  of  the  British  colonies  of  America. 
Thus  she  sent  troops,  armed  and  equipped,  for  service  in  both 
Virginia  and  South  Carolina:  also  dispatched  a  ship  from  the 
port  of  Wilmington  with  food  for  the  sufferers  in  Boston  after 
the  closing  of  that  port  by  Great  Britain.  In  her  declaration 
that  the  cause  of  Boston  was  the  cause  of  all,  there  v-as  not 
only  the  assertion  of  a  community  of  rights  and  a  ])ur[)ose  to 
defend  them,  but  self-abnegation  of  the  commercial  advantages 
which  would  probably  accrue  from  the  closing  of  a  rival  port. 

"Without  diminution  of  regard  for  the  great  and  good  men 
of  the  other  colonies,  I  have  been  led  to  special  veneration  for 
the  men  of  North  Carolina,  as  the  first  to  distinctly  declare  for 
State  independence,  and  from  first  to  last  to  uphold  the  right 
of  a  people  to  govern  themselves. 

"  I  do  not  propose  to  discuss  the  vexed  question  of  the  Meck- 
lenburg resolutions  of  May,  1775,  which,  from  the  similarity  of 
expression  to  the  great  Declaration  of  Independence  of  July, 
177G,  have  created  much  contention,  because  the  claim  of  North 
Carolina  rests  on  a  broader  foundation  than  the  resolves  of  the 
meeting  at  Mecklenburg,  which  deserve  to  be  preserved  as  the 
outburst  of  a  brave,  liberty-loving  people  on  the  receipt  of  news 
of  the  combat  at  Concord  between  British  soldiers  and  citizens 
of  Massacnusetts.  The  broader  foundations  referred  to  are  the 
records  of  events  preceding  and  succeeding  the  meeting  at 
Mecklenburg,  and  the  proceedings  of  the  provincial  congress, 
which  met  at  Hillsboro'  in  August,  1775.  Before  this  congress 
convened  North  Carolina,  in  disregard  of  oi^position  by  the 
governor,  had  sent  delegates  to  represent  her  in  the  general 
congress  to  be  held  in  Philadelphia,  and  had  denounced  the 
attack  upon  Boston,  and  had  appointed  committees  of  safety 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TRAITORf  257 

with  such  far-reaching  functions  as  belong  to  revolutionary 
times  only.  The  famous  stamp  act  of  Parliament  was  openly  re- 
sisted by  men  of  highest  reputation,  a  vessel  bringing  the  stamps 
was  seized  and  the  commander  bound  not  to  permit  them  to  be 
landed.  These  things  were  done  in  open  day  by  men  who  wore 
no  disguise  and  shunned  no  question.  Before  the  congress  of 
the  province  had  assembled  the  last  royal  governor  of  North 
Carolina  had  fled  to  escape  from  the  indignation  of  the  people 
Avho,  burdened  but  not  bent  by  oppression,  had  resolved  to  live 
or  die  as  freemen.  The  congress  at  Hillsboro  went  earnestly 
to  work,  not  merely  to  declare  independence  but  to  provide  the 
means  for  maintaining  it.  The  congress,  feeling  quite  equal 
to  the  occasion,  proceeded  to  make  laws  for  raising  and  organ- 
izing troops,  for  supplying  money,  and  to  meet  the  contingency 
of  a  blockade  of  her  seaports,  offered  bounties  to  stimulate  the 
production  of  the  articles  most  needful  in  time  of  war.  On 
the  12th  of  April,  1776,  the  continental  congress  being  then  in 
session,  and  with  much  diversity  of  opinion  as  to  the  proper 
course  to  be  pursued  under  this  condition  of  affairs,  the  North 
Carolina  congress  resolved  *  that  the  delegates  for  this  colony 
in  the  continental  congress  be  empowered  to  concur  with  the 
delegates  of  the  other  colonies  in  declaring  independence  and 
forming  foreign  alliances,  reserving  to  the  colony  the  sole  and 
exclusive  right  of  forming  a  constitution  and  laws  for  the 
colon}'-,'  etc. 

"  This,  I  believe,  was  the  first  distinct  declaration  for  sepa- 
ration from  Great  Britain  and  State  independence,  and  there  is 
much  besides  priority  to  evoke  admiration.  North  Carolina 
had,  by  many  acts  of  resistance  to  the  British  authorities,  pro- 
voked their  vengeance,  yet  she  dared  to  lead  in  defiance  ;  but 
no  danger,  however  dread  in  the  event  of  her  isolation,  could 
make  her  accept  co-operation,  save  with  the  reservation  of 
"supremacy  in  regard  to  her  own  constitution  and  laws — the 
Bacred  principle  of  '  community  independence '  and  government 
founded  on  the  consent  of  the  governed.  After  having  done 
her  whole  duty  in  the  war  for  independence  and  become  a  free, 
sovereign,  and  independent  State,  she  entered  into  the  confed- 
eration with  these  rights  and  powers  recognized  as  unabridged. 
When  experience  proved  the  articles  of  confederation  to  be 
inadequate  to  the  needs  of  good  government,  she  agreed  to  a 
general  convention  for  their  amendment.  The  convention  did 
not  limit  its  labors  to  amendment  of  the  articles,  but  proceeded 
to  form  a  new  plan  of  government,  and,  adhering  to  the  cardi- 
nal principle  that  governments  must  be  derived  from  the  con- 
sent of  the  governed,  submitted  the  new  plan  to  the  people  of 
17 


258  THE  DAVL'i  MEMORIAL  YOLVMK  ^ 

the  several  S^ate?!,  to  be  adopted  or  rejected  a&  each  by  and  foi 
itself  should  iaclde.  It  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  articles 
of  confederatioii  for  the  '  United  States  of  America  '  declared 
that  'the  UnioA  shall  be  perpetual/  and  that  no  alteration 
should  be  made  in- tlie  said  articles  unless  it  should 'be  confirmed 
by  the  legislatures  of  every  State.'  True  to  her  creed  of  State 
sovereignty,  North  Carolina  recognized  the  power  of  such  States 
as  chose  to  do  so  to  withdraw  from  the  Union,  and  by  the  sams 
token  her  own  unqualified  right  to  decide  whether  or  not  she 
would  subscribe  to  the  proposed  compact  for  a  more  perfect 
union,  and  in  which  it  is  to  be  observed  the  declaration  for  per- 
petuity was  omitted.  In  the  hard  school  of  experience  she  had 
learned  the  danger  to  popular  liberty  from  a  government  which 
could  claim  to  be  the  final  Judge  of  its  own  powers.  She  had 
fought  a  long  and  devastating  war  for  State  independence,  and 
was  not  willing  to  put  in  jeopardy  the  priceless  jewel  she  had 
gained.  After  a  careful  examination  it  was  concluded  that  tli© 
proposed  constitution  did  not  sufficiently  guard  against  usurpa- 
tion by  the  usual  resort  to  ijapli cation  of  powers  not  exioL'eE&ry 
granted,  and  declined  to  act  upon  the  general  assurances  that 
the  deficiency  would  soon  be  supplied  by  the  needful  amend- 
ments. In  the  meantime,  State  alter  State  Lad  acceded  to 
the  new  union,  until  the  requisite  rmmber  had  been  obtained 
for  the  establishment  of  the  '  constitution  between  the  States 
to  ratifying  the  same.'  With  characteristic  self-reliance.  North 
Carolina  confronted  the  prospect  of  isolation,  and  calmly  re- 
solved, if  so  it  must  be,  to  stand  as  one  rather  than  subject  to 
hazard  her  most  prized  possession — 'Community  independence. 
Confiding  in  the  security  offered  by  the  first  ten  amendments 
to  the  constitution,  especially  the  ninth  and  tenth  of  the  series, 
North  Carolina  voluntarily  acceded  to  the  new  union.  The 
tenth  amendment  restricted  the  functions  of  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment to  the  exercise  of  the  powers  delegated  to  it  by  the 
States,  all  of  which  were  expressly  stipulated.  Beyond  that 
limit  nothing  could  be  done  rightfully.  If  covertly  done, 
under  color  of  law,  or  by  reckless  usurpation  of  an  extraneous 
majority  which,  feeling  power,  should  disregard  right,  had  the 
State  no  peaceful  remedy?  Could  she,  as  a  State  in  a  confed- 
eration, the  bed-rock  of  which  is  the  consent  of  its  members, 
be  bound  by  a  compact  which  others  broke  to  her  injury?  Had 
her  reserved  rights  no  other  than  a  paper  barrier  to  protect 
them  against  invasion? 

"  Surely  the  heroic  patriots  and  wise  statesmen  of  North  Caro- 
lina, by  their  sacrifices,  utterances  and  deeds,  have  shown  what 
their  answer  would  have  been  to  these  questions,  if  they  had 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TUAITOBf  2-59 

been  asked,  on  the  day  when  in  one  convention  they  ratified  the 
amended  constitution  of  the  United  States.  Her  exceptional 
delay  in  ratification  marks  her  vigilant  care  for  the  right  she 
had  so  early  asserted  and  so  steadily  maintained. 

"  Of  her  it  may  be  said,  as  it  ^yas  of  Sir  Walter  Scott  in  his 
youth,  that  he  was  *  always  the  first  in  a  row  and  the  last  out  of 
it.'  In  the  peaceful  repose  which  followed  the  Revolution  all 
her  interests  were  progressive. 

"  Farms,  school-houses  and  towns  rose  over  a  subdued  wilder- 
ness, and  with  a  mother's  joy  she  saw  her  sons  distinguished  in 
the  public  service  by  intelligence,  energy  and  perseverance,  and 
by  the  integrity  without  which  all  other  gifts  are  but  as  tinsel. 
Korth  Carolina  grew  a  pace  in  all  which  constitutes  power, 
until  1812  she  was  required,  as  a  State  of  the  Union,  to  resist 
aggressions  on  the  high  seas  in  the  visitation  of  American 
merchant  vessels  and  the  impressment  of  American  seamen 
by  the  armed  cruisers  of  Great  Britain. 

"  These  seamen  generally  belonged  to  the  Kew  England 
States ;  none,  probably,  were  North  Carolinians ;  but  her  old 
spirit  was  vital  still ;  for  the  cause  of  one  was  the  cause  of  all, 
as  she  announced  when  Boston  was  under  embargo. 

"  At  every  roll-call  for  the  common  defence  she  answered 
'Here!'  When  blessed  peace  returned  she  stacked  her  arms, 
for  which  she  had  no  prospective  use.  Her  love  for  her  neigh- 
bors had  been  tried  and  not  found  wanting  in  the  time  of  their 
need;  why  should  she  anticipate  hostility  from  them? 

"  The  envy,  selfish  jealousy  and  criminal  hate  of  a  Cain 
could  not  come  near  to  her  heart.  If  not  to  suspect  such  vice 
in  others  be  indiscreet  credulity,  it  is  a  knightly  virtue  and 
a  part  of  an  honest  nature.  In  many  years  of  military  and 
civil  service  it  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  know  the  sons  of 
North  Carolina  under  circumstances  of  trial  and  could  make  a 
list  of  those  deserving  honorable  mention  which  would  too  far 
extend  this  letter,  already,  I  fear,  tediously  long. 

"Devotion  to  principle,  self-reliance,  and  inflexible  adher- 
ence to  resolution  when  adopted,  accompanied  by  conservative 
caution,  were  the  characteristics  displayed  by  North  Carolina 
in  both  her  colonial  and  State  history.  All  these  qualities 
were  exemplified  in  her  action  on  the  day  of  the  anniversary 
of  which  you  commemorate.  If  there  be  any,  not  likely  to  be 
found  with  you  but  possibly  elsewhere,  who  shall  ask  *how, 
then,  should  North  Carolina  consistently  enact  her  ordinance 
of  secession  in  1861?  '  he  is  referred  to  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence of  1776,  to  the  articles  of  confederation  of  1777,  for 
a  perpetual  union  of  the  States  from  the  union  bo  established; 


26C  THJ?  da  VTS  MEMOniAl   VOLUME. 

to  the  treaty  of  1783,  recognizing  the  independence  of  tho 
States  severally  and  distinctively;  to  the  constitution  of  the 
United  States,  with  its  first  ten  amendments  ;  to  the  time-hon- 
ored resolutions  of  1798-1799 ;  that  from  these,  one  and  all,  he 
may  learn  that  the  State,  having  won  her  independence  by 
heavy  sacrifices,  had  never  surrendered  it  nor  had  ever  at- 
tempted to  delegate  the  unalienable  rights  of  the  people.  How 
valiantly  her  sons  bore  themselves  in  the  war  between  the 
States  the  lists  of  the  killed  and  wounded  testify.  She  gave 
them  a  sacrificial  offering  on  the  altar  of  the  liberties  their 
fathers  had  won  and  had  left  as  an  inheritance  to  their  poster- 
ity. Many  sleep  far  from  the  land  of  their  nativity.  Peace  to 
their  ashes !  Honor  to  their  memory  and  the  mother  who  bore 
them! 

Faithfully,  Jeffeeson  Davis. 

Senator  John  "W.  Daniel,  in  his  address  delivered  in  Rich- 
mond, before  the  Virginia  Legislature,  January  25,  1890,  in 
the  presence  of  an  immense  crowd  and  an  enthusiastic  audience, 
made  a  popular  defence  of  Mr,  Davis,  so  able,  so  eloquent,  and 
so  conclusive,  that  we  give  the  full  text  of  his  splendid  oration, 
for  while  there  are  other  matters  introduced  which  might  come 
more  appropriately  at  other  points  of  this  outline,  we  do  not 
feel  like  marring  its  symmetry  by  abridging  it  or  separating  its 
parts. 

ORATION  OF  SENATOR  JOHN  W.  DANIEL. 

"  Mr.  Speaker,  Gentlemen  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Vi7'gmia,  La- 
dies and  Gentlemen : 

"  Noble  are  the  words  of  Cicero  when  he  tells  us  that  '  it  is 
the  first  and  fundamental  law  of  history  that  it  should  neither 
dare  to  say  anything  that  is  false  or  fear  to  say  anything  that 
is  true,  nor  give  any  just  suspicion  of  favor  or  disaffection,' 

*'  No  less  high  a  standard  must  be  invoked  in  considering  the 
life,  character,  and  services  of  Jefferson  Davis,  a  great  man  of 
a  great  epoch ;  whose  name  is  blended  with  the  renown  of 
American  arms  and  with  the  civic  glories  of  the  cabinet  and 
the  Congress  hall — a  son  of  the  South  who  became  the  head  of 
a  confederacy  more  populous  and  more  extensive  than  that  for 
v^^hich  Jefferson  wrote  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and 
the   commander-in-chief  of  armies  many   times  greater  than 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TBAITOBf  261 

those  of  which  "Washington  was  the  general.  He  swayed  senates 
and  led  the  soldiers  of  the  Union — and  he  stood  accused  of 
treason  in  a  court  of  justice.  He  saw  victory  sweep  illustrious 
battle-fields ;  and  he  became  a  captive. 

"  He  ruled  millions,  and  he  was  put  in  chains. 

"  He  created  a  nation ;  he  followed  its  bier ;  he  wrote  its  epi- 
taph, and  he  died  a  disfranchised  citizen. 

"  But  though  great  in  all  vicissitudes  and  trials,  he  was 
greatest  in  that  fortune  which,  lifting  him  first  to  the  loftiest 
height  and  casting  him  thence  into  the  depths  of  disappoint- 
ment, found  him  everywhere  the  erect  and  conatant  friend  of 
truth.  He  conquered  himself  and  forgave  his  enemies,  but  he 
bent  to  none  but  God. 

"  No  public  man  was  ever  subjected  to  sterner  ordeals  of  char- 
acter or  closer  scrutiny  of  conduct.  He  was  in  the  public  gaze 
for  nearly  half  a  century;  and  in  the  fate  which  at  last  over- 
whelmed the  Southern  Confederacy  and  its  President  its  official 
records  and  private  papers  fell  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies. 

"Wary  eyes  now  searched  to  see  if  he  had  overstepped  the 
bounds  which  the  laws  of  war  have  set  to  action ;  and  could 
such  evidence  be  found  wrathful  hearts  would  have  cried  for 
vengeance.  But  though  every  hiding-place  was  opened,  and  re- 
ward was  ready  for  any  who  would  betray  the  secrets  of  the 
Captive  Chief,  whose  armies  were  scattered  and  whose  hands 
were  chained — though  the  sea  gave  up  its  dead  in  the  convul- 
sion of  his  country — there  could  be  found  no  guilty  fact,  and 
accusing  tongues  were  silenced. 

"Whatever  record  leaped  to  light, 
His  name  could  not  be  shamed." 

"  I  could  not,  indeed,  nor  would  I  divest  myself  of  those  identi- 
ties and  partialities  which  make  me  one  with  the  people  of  whom 
he  was  the  chief  in  their  supreme  conflict.  But  surely  if  records 
were  stainless  and  enemies  were  dumb,  and  if  the  principals 
no\^'  pronounce  favorable  judgment  upon  the  agent,  notwith- 
standing that  he  failed  to  conduct  their  affairs  to  a  successful 
issue,  there  can  be  no  suspicion  of  undue  favor  on  the  part  of 
those  who  do  him  honor;  and  the  contrary  inclination  could 
only  spring  from  disaffection. 

"  The  people  of  the  South  knew  Jefferson  Davis.  He  mingled 
his  daily  life  with  theirs  under  the  eager  ken  of  those  who  had 
bound  up  with  him  all  that  life  can  cherish. 

"To  his  hands  they  consigned  their  destinies,  and  under  his 
guidance  they  committed  the  land  they  loved  with  husbands, 
fathers,  sons  and  brothers  to  the  God  of  battles. 


262  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

"  Ruin,  wounds,  and  death  became  thek  portion.  And  yet 
this  people  do  declare  that  Jefferson  Davis  was  an  unselfish 
patriot  and  a  noble  gentleman ;  that  as  the  trustee  of  the  highest 
trust  that  man  can  place  in  man  he  was  clear  and  faithful ;  and 
that  in  his  high  office  he  exhibited  those  grand  heroic  attributes 
which  were  worthy  of  its  dignity  and  of  their  struggle  for  inde- 
pendence. 

"  Thus  it  was  that  when  the  news  came  that  he  was  no  more 
there  was  no  southern  home  that  did  not  pass  under  the  shadow 
of  affliction.  Thus  it  was  that  the  governors  of  commonwealths 
bore  his  body  to  the  tomb  and  that  multitudes  gathered  from 
afar  to  bow  in  reverence.  Thus  it  was  that  throughout  the  South 
the  scarred  soldiers,  the  widowed  wives,  the  kindred  of  those 
who  had  died  in  the  battle  which  he  delivered  met  to  give  utter- 
ance to  their  respect  and  sorrow.  Thus  it  is  that  the  General 
Assembly  of  Virginia  is  now  convened  to  pay  their  tribute.  Com- 
pleter testimony  to  human  worth  was  never  given,  and  thus  it 
will  be  that  the  South  will  build  a  monument  to  record  their 
verdict  that  he  was  true  to  his  people,  his  conscience,  and  his 
God ;  and  no  stone  that  covers  the  dead  will  be  worthier  of  the 
Roman  legend: 

'Clarus  et  vir  fortissimus.' 

"The  life  now  closed  was  one  of  conflict  from  youth  to  man- 
hood, and  from  manhood  to  the  grave.  Before  he  was  a  man  in 
years  he  was  an  officer  in  the  army  of  his  country,  and  inter- 
missions of  military  and  civil  services  were  but  spent  in  burn- 
ishing the  weapons  which  were  to  shine  in  the  clash  of  oppos- 
ing interests. 

"  The  scenes  of  the  hearthstone  and  of  the  cloisters  of  friend- 
ship and  religion  have  no  place  on  that  large  canvas  which  por- 
trays the  great  events  of  national  existence ;  and  those  who  come 
forth  from  them  equipped  and  strong  to  wrestle  and  contend 
leave  often  behind  them  the  portions  of  their  life-work  which, 
could  others  know  them,  would  reverse  all  conceptions  of  char- 
acter and  turn  aversion  to  affection. 

"Those  who  knew  Jefferson  Davis  in  intimate  relations  honor- 
ed him  most  and  loved  him.  Genial  and  gentle,  approachable 
to  all,  especially  regardful  of  the  humble  and  lowly,  affable  in 
conversation,  and  enriching  it  from  the  amplest  stores  of  a  re- 
fined and  cultured  mind,  he  fascinated  those  who  came  within 
the  circle  of  his  society  and  endeared  them  to  him.  Reserved 
as  to  himself,  he  bore  the  afflictions  of  a  diseased  body  with  scant 
allusion  even  when  it  became  needful  to  plead  them  in  self- 
defence.     With  bandaged  eyes  and  weak  from  suffering  he  would 


*-  WAS  DA  VIS  A  TRAlTOBf 


263 


come  from  a  couch  of  pain  to  vote  on  public  issues  and  for  ov^r 
^enty  years  -with  the  sight  of  one  eye  gone,  he  viedicated  '  bie» 
labors  to  the  vindication  of  the  South  from  the  aspersions  whicJa 
misconceptions  and  passions  had  engendered. 

"  At  over  four-score  years  he  died,  with  his  harness  on,  his  pen 
yet  bright  and  trenchant,  his  mental  eye  undimmed,  his  soul 
athirst  for  peace,  truth,  justice,  and  fraternity,  breathing  his 
latest  breath  in  clearing  the  memories  of  the  Lost  Confederacy. 

"  Clear  and  strong  in  intellect,  proud,high-minded,  sensitive, 
self-willed,  but  not  self-centered;  self-assertive  for  his  cause, 
but  never  for  his  own  advancement;  aggressive  and  imperious 
as  are  nearly  all  men  fit  for  leadership ;  with  the  sturdy  virtues 
that  command  respect,  but  without  the  small  diplomacies  that 
conciliate  hostility,  he  was  one  of  those  characters  that  natu- 
rally makes  warm' friends  and  bitter  enemies;  a  veritable  man, 
*  terribly  in  earnest,'  such  as  Carlyle  ioved  to  count  among  the 
heroes. 

"  Such  a  man  can  never  be  understood  while  strife  lasts ;  and 
little  did  they  understand  him  who  thought  him  selfish,  cold, 
or  cruel.  When  he  came  to  Richmond  as  your  President  your 
generous  people  gave  him  a  home  and  he  declined  it.  After 
the  war  when  dependent  on  his  labor  for  the  bread  of  his 
family  kind  friends  tendered  him  a  purse.  Gracefully  refusing, 
'Send  it,'  he  said,  *  to  the  poor  and  suffering  soldiers  and  their 
families.'  His  heart  was  full  of  melting  charity,  and  in  the 
Confederate  days  the  complaint  was  that  his  many  pardons 
relaxed  discipline,  and  that  he  would  not  let  the  sentences  of 
military  courts  be  executed.  Not  a  human  being  ever  believed 
for  an  instant  the  base  imputation  that  he  appropriated  Con- 
federate gold.  He  distributed  the  last  to  the  soldiers,  and  '  the 
fact  is,'  he  wrote  to  a  friend,  '  that  I  staked  all  my  property  and 
reputation  on  ths  defense  of  States'  rights  and  constitutional 
liberty  as  I  understand  them.  The  first  I  spent  in  the  cause, 
except  what  was  saved  and  appropriated  or  destroyed  by  the 
enemy ;  the  last  has  been  persistenL'y  assailed  by  all  which 
falsehood  could  invent  and  malignity  employ,' 

"  He  would  have  turned  with  loathing  from  misuse  of  a  pris- 
oner, for  there  was  no  characteristic  of  Jefferson  Davis  more 
marked  than  his  regard  for  the  weak,  the  helpless,  and  the 
captive.  By  act  of  the  Confederate  Congress  and  by  general 
orders  the  same  rations  served  to  the  Confederates  were  issued 
to  the  prisoners,  though  taken  from  a  starving  army  and  people. 

"  Brutal  and  base  was  the  effort  to  stigmatize  him  as  a  con- 
spirator to  maltreat  prisoners,  but  better  for  him  that  it  was 
tuade,  for  while  he  was  himself  yet  in  prison  the  evidences  of 


264  TSE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

his  humanity  were  so  overwhelming  that  finally  slander  stood 
abashed  and  malignity  recoiled. 

"  Even  at  Andersonville,  where  the  hot  summer  sun  was  of 
course  disastrous  to  men  of  the  northern  clime,  well  nigh  as 
many  of  their  guard  died  as  of  them. 

"  With  sixty  thousand  more  Federal  prisoners  in  the  South 
than  there  were  Confederate  prisoners  in  the  North,  four  thous- 
and more  Confederates  than  Federals  died  in  jjrison.  A  cyclone 
of  rhetoric  cannot  shake  this  mountain  of  fact,  and  these  facts 
are  alike  immovable : 

"  1.  He  tried  to  get  the  prisoners  exchanged  by  the  cartel 
agreed  on,  but  as  soon  as  an  excess  of  prisoners  was  in  Federal 
hands  this  was  refused. 

"  2.  A  delegation  of  the  prisoners  themselves  vfas  sent  to 
Washington  to  represent  the  situation  and  the  plea  of  human- 
ity for  exchange. 

"  3.  Vice-President  Stephens  was  sent  to  see  President  Lin- 
coln by  President  Davis  and  urge  exchange,in  order  '  to  restrict 
the  calamities  of  war' ;  but  he  was  denied  audience. 

"  4.  Twice — in  January,  1864,  and  in  January,  1865 — Presi- 
dent Davis  proposed  through  Commissioner  Ouldthat  each  side 
should  send  surgeons,  and  allow  money,  food,  clothing,  and 
medicines  to  be  sent  to  prisoners,  but  no  answer  came. 

"  5.  Unable  to  get  medicines  in  the  Confederacy,  offer  was 
made  to  buy  them  from  the  United  States  for  the  sole  use  of 
Federal  prisoners.     No  answer  was  made. 

"  6.  Then  offer  was  made  to  deliver  the  sick  and  wounded 
without  any  equivalent  in  exchange.  There  was  no  reply  for 
months. 

"  7.  Finally,  and  as  soon  as  the  United  States  would  receive 
them,  thousands  of  both  sick  and  well  were  delivered  without 
exchange. 

*'  The  record  leaves  no  doubt  as  to  the  responsibility  for 
refusal  to  exchange.  General  Grant  assumed  it,  saying  in  his 
letter  of  August  18,  1864:  '  It  is  hard  on  our  men  in  southern 
prisons  not  to  exchange  them,  but  it  is  humanity  to  those  left 
in  the  ranks  to  fight  our  battles.  If  we  commence  a  system  of 
exchanges  which  liberates  all.  prisoners  taken  we  will  have  to 
fight  on  until  the  whole  South  is  exterminated.  If  we  hold 
those  caught  they  amount  to  no  more  than  dead  men.  At  this 
particular  time  to  release  all  rebel  prisoners  North  would  insure 
Sherman's  defeat  and  compromise  our  own  safety  here.' 

"Alexander  H.  Stephens  declared  that  the  effort  to  fix  odium 
on  President  Davis  constituted  'one  of  the  boldest  and  baldest 
attempted  outrages  upon  the  truth  of  history  which  has  ever 
been  essayed.' 


r 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TRAITOR  f  206 

"  Charles  A.  Dana,  of  the  New  York  Sun,  formerly  assistant 
Secretary  of  War,  nobly  vindicated  President  Davis  while  ho 
lived,  declared  him  'altogether  acquitted'  of  the  charge,  and 
said  of  him  dead,  'A  majestic  soul  has  passed.' 

"When  Mr.  Davis  congratulated  General  Lee's  army  on  the 
victories  of  Richmond,  he  said  to  them  :  '  Your  humanity  to  the 
wounded  and  the  prisoners  was  the  fit  and  crowning  glory  of 
your  valor.'  And  could  that  army  now  march  by,  they  would 
lift  those  laurels  from  their  bayonets  and  throw  them  upon  the 
grave  of  the  Confederate  President. 

"  Resentment  wreaked  itself  upon  him  ere  the  truths  were 
fully  known  and  while  indeed  passion  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  them. 
And  if  he  struck  back  what  just  man  can  blame  him?  With  a 
reward  of  $100,000  offered  for  him  as  an  assassin,  charged  with 
maltreating  prisoners,  indicted  for  treason  and  imprisoned  for 
two  years  and  denied  a  trial;,  handcuffed  like  a  common  ruf- 
fian ;  put  in  solitary  confinement ;  a  silent  sentinel  and  a  blazing 
light  at  watch  on  his  every  motion,  where  is  there  a  creature 
who  can  call  himself  a  man  who  could  condemn — aye,  who 
does  not  sympathize  with  the  goaded  innocence  and  the  right- 
eous indignation  with  which  he  spurned  the  accusations  and 
denounced  the  accusers  ? 

"  But  whatever  he  suffered  the  grandeur  of  his  soul  lifted 
him  above  the  feelings  of  hatred  and  malice. 

"When  Grant  lay  stricken  on  Mt.  McGregor  he  was  requested 
to  write  a  criticism  of  his  military  career.  He  declined  for  two 
reasons :  '  First,  General  Grant  is  dying.  Second,  though  he 
Invaded  our  country  with  a  ruthless,  it  was  with  an  open  hand, 
and,  as  far  as  I  know,  he  abetted  neither  arson 'nor  pillage, 
and  has  since  the  war,  I  believe,  shown  no  malignity  to  the 
Confederates  either  of  the  military  or  civil  service;  therefore, 
instead  of  seeking  to  disturb  the  quiet  of  his  closing  hours,  I 
would,  if  it  were  in  my  power,  contribute  to  the  peace  of  his 
mind  and  the  comfort  of  his  body.'  This  was  no  new-born  feel- 
ing. At  Fortress  Monroe,  Avhen  suffering  the  tortures  of  bodily 
pain  in  an  unwholesome  prison,  and  the  worse  tortures  of  a 
humiliating  and  cruel  confinement  which  make  man  blush  for 
his  kind  to  recall  them,  he,  yet  in  the  solitude  of  his  cell, 
shared  only  by  his  faithful  pastor,  took  the  Holy  Communion 
which  commemorates  the  blood  and  the  broken  body  of  Christ 
Jesus,  and  bowing  to  God,  declared  his  heart  at  peace  with  Him 
and  man. 

"  As  free  from  envy  as  he  was  from  malice,  he  was  foremost  in 
recognizing,  applauding,  and  eulogizing  the  great  character  and 
achievements  of  General  R.  E.  Lee,  and  with  his  almost  dying 


266  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

hand  he  wove  a  chaplet  of  evergreen  beauty  to  lay  upon  his 
honored  brow. 

"Sternly  did  he  stand  for  principle.  He  was  no  courtier,  no 
flatterer,  no  word  naagician,  no  time-server,  no  demagogue 
unless  that  word  shakes  from  it  the  contaminations  of  its  abuse 
and  return  to  its  pristine  meaning — a  leader  of  the  people. 
Like  King  David's  was  his  command,  'There  shall  no  deceit- 
ful man  dwell  in  my  house.'  A  pure  and  lofty  spirit  breathed 
through  his  every  utterance,  which,  like  the  Parian  stone, 
revealed  in  its  polish  the  fineness  of  the  grain.  I  can  recall  no 
public  man  who,  in  the  midst  of  such  shifting  and  perplexing 
scenes  of  strife,  maintained  so  firmly  the  consistency  of  his 
principles,  and  who,  despite  the  shower  of  darts  that  hurtled 
around  his  head,  triumphed  so  completely  over  every  dishonor- 
ing imputation.  It  was  because  those  who  knew  his  faith  knew 
always  where  to  find  him,  and  wherever  found  he  proclaimed 
that  faith  as  the  standard  bearer  unfurls  his  colors. 

"He  was  always  ready  to  follow  his  principles  to  their  logical 
conclusion,  to  become  at  any  sacrifice  their  champion;  to  face 
defeat  in  their  defense,  and  to  die,  if  need  be,  rather  than  dis- 
guise or  recant  them. 

"Advocating  the  Mexican  war  while  a  member  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  from  Mississippi,  he  resigned  his  seat  there 
to  take  command  of  a  Mississippi  regiment  and  share  the  hard- 
ships and  dangers  of  the  field. 

"  When  later,  his  party  in  Mississippi  seemed  to  be  losing 
ground,  and  General  Quitman,  its  candidate  for  governor,  retired, 
a  popular  election  giving  forecast  of  7,500  majority  against  him, 
Jefferson  Davis  resigned  his  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate  to 
accept  its  leadership  and  become  its  nominee,  and  with  such 
effect  did  he  rally  its  ranks  that  he  came  within  1,000  votes  of 
election. 

"  When  he  turned  homeward  from  Mexico,  the  laurelled  hero 
of  Buena  Vista,  he  was  everywhere  hailed  with  acclamation, 
and  a  commission  as  brigadier-general  of  volunteers  in  the 
United  States  army  was  tendered  him  by  President  Polk.  We 
may  well  conceive  with  what  pride  the  young  soldier,  not  yet 
forty  years  of  age,  would  welcome  so  rare  an  honor  in  the  cher- 
ished profession  which  had  kindled  his  youthful  ardor,  and  in 
which  he  had  become  now  so  signally  distinguished. 

"  But  he  had  taught  the  doctrine  that  the  State,  and  not  the 
Federal  government,  was  the  true  constitutional  fountain  of 
such  an  honor,  and  from  another  hand  he  would  not  bend  his 
knightly  brow  to  receive  it.  And  yet  later  on,  when  summoned 
from  the  privacy  of  home  to  a  place  in  the  Cabinet  of  President 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TRAIT0R1  267 

Pierce,  lie  declined,  because  he  believed  it  to  be  bis  duty  to 
remain  in  Mississippi  and  -wrestle  for  the  cause  with  which  be 
was  identified.  Thus  did  he  abandon  or  decline  the  highest 
dignities  of  civil  and  military  life,  always  putting  principle 
in   the  lead,  and  himself  anywhere  that  would  best  support  it. 

"  Personal  virtues  and  public  services  are  so  different  in 
essence  and  effect  that  nations  often  glorify  those  whose  pri- 
vate characters  are  detestable,  and  condemn  others  who  possess 
the  most  admirable  traits.  The  notorious  vices  of  Marlborough 
stood  not  in  the  way  of  the  titles,  honors,  and  estates  which 
England  heaped  on  the  hero  of  Blenheim,  and  the  nobleness  of 
Robert  Emmet  did  not  shield  the  champion  of  Irish  indepen- 
dence from  the  scaffold. 

"  But  the  men  of  history  cannot  be  thus  dismissed  from  the 
bar  of  public  judgment  with  verdicts  wrung  from  the  passion  of 
an  hour.  There  is  a  court  of  appeals  in  the  calmer  life,  and 
the  clearer  intelligence  of  nations,  and  whenever  the  inherent 
rights  or  the  moral  ideas  underlying  the  movements  of  society 
are  brought  in  question,  the  personal  qualities,  the  honor,  the 
comprehension,  the  constancy  of  its  leading  spirits  must  con- 
tribute largely  to  the  final  judgment.  In  this  forum  personal 
and  public  character  are  blended,  for  in  great  conjunctures  it  is 
largely  through  their  representative  men  that  we  must  inter- 
pret the  genius  of  peoples. 

*'  It  was  fortunate  for  the  South,  for  America,  and  for  human- 
ity that  at  the  head  of  the  South  in  war  w^as  a  true  type  of  its 
honor,  character,  and  history — a  man  whose  clear  rectitude 
preserved  every  complication  from  impeachment  of  bad  faith  ; 
a  patriot  whose  love  of  law  and  liberty  were  paramount  to  all 
expediencies;  a  commander  whose  moderation  and  firmness 
could  restrain,  and  whose  lofty  passion  and  courage  could 
inspire  ;  a  publicist  whose  intellectual  powers  and  attainments 
made  him  the  peer  cf  any  statesman  who  has  championed  the 
rights  of  commonwealths  in  debate,  or  stood  at  the  helm  when 
the  ship  of  State  encountered  the  tempest  of  civil  commotion. 

"In  the  tremendous  storm  which  has  scarce  yet  subsided 
Jefferson  Davis  never  once  forgot  that  he  was  a  constitutional 
President  under  the  limits  of  the  fundamental  law  of  the  Con- 
federate republic.  Some  thought  that  he  might  have  imparted 
a  fiercer  energy  to  his  sore-pressed  battalions  had  he  grasped 
the  purse  and  the  sword,  seized  the  reins  of  a  dictator,  and 
pushed  the  enterprise  of  war  to  its  most  exigent  endeavor. 
But  never  once  did  ambition  tempt  or  stress  of  circumstances 
drive  him  to  admit  the  thought,  at  war  as  it  was  with  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  revolution  which  he  led  and  with  the  genius  of  the 


2G8  THE  DA  VIS  MEMOBIAL   VOL  UMK 

Southern  people.  He  stood  for  constitutional  right.  To  him 
it  was  the  Rock  of  Ages.  Who  does  not  now  rejoice  that  he 
was  inflexible  ? 

"  Had  a  man  less  sober-minded  and  less  strong  than  he  been 
in  his  place  the  Confederacy  would  not  only  have  gone  down 
in  material  ruin — it  would  have  been  buried  in  disgrace.  Ex- 
cesses, sure  to  bring  retribution  in  the  end,  would  have  blotted 
its  career  and  weakness  would  have  stripped  its  fate  of  dignity. 
I  dismiss,  therefore,  the  unworthy  criticism  that  he  should  have 
negotiated  peace  in  February,  1865,  when  Hon.  Francis  Blair 
came  informally  to  Richmond,  and  when,  as  the  result  of  his 
mission,  Messrs.  Stephens,  Hunter,  and  Campbell  met  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  and  Secretary  Seward  in  conference  ,at  Hampton 
Roads.  Reports  have  been  circulated  that  at  that  time  peace 
could  have  been  secured  upon  a  basis  of  a  return  to  the  Union, 
with  payment  of  some  sort  to  southern  owners  for  their  emanci- 
pated slaves.  There  is  no  foundation  for  such  belief.  The  idea 
which  led  to  the  conference  was  that  of  Mr.  Blair — that  the  Con- 
federate cause  being  hopeless,  the  Confederate  leaders  could  be 
induced  to  wheel  their  columns  into  line  with  those  of  the  Union 
army  now  thundering  at  their  gates  and  then  march  off  to  Mexico 
to  assert  the  Monroe  doctrine  and  expel  Maximilian,  the  usurp- 
ing emperor,  from  his  throne.  But  when  President  Lincoln  and 
Secretary  Seward  appeared  no  proposal  of  any  kind  was  made 
but  unconditional  surrender.  This  was  reported  and  of  course 
declined.  Even  had  compensation  for  slaves  been  proposed 
the  Confederate  soldiers  would  have  repudiated  such  terms  as 
conditions  of  surrender.  True,  thoy  were  in  dire  distress. 
With  scarce  a  handful  Johnston  could  only  harass  Sherman  in 
the  South,  and  the  men  of  Lee  could  see  from  their  trenches 
the  mighty  swarms  marshalling  in  their  front.  The  starvation 
that  clutched  at  their  throats  plunged  its  dagger  to  their  hearts 
as  they  thought  of  loved  ones  famishing  at  home.  But  the 
brave  men  who  still  clung  to  their  tattered  standards  knew 
naught  of  the  art  or  practice  of  surrender.  They  thought  of 
Valley  Forge  and  saw  beyond  it  Yorktown.  Had  not  Washing- 
ton thought  of  the  mountains  of  West  Augusta  when  driven 
from  his  strongholds?  Why  not  they?  Had  not  Jackson  left 
the  legacy,  'What  is  life  without  honor?  Dishonor  is  worse 
than  death.'  They  could  not  comprehend  the  idea  of  surrender, 
for  were  they  not  their  fathers'  sons? 

"They  would  rather  have  died  than  surrender  then,  and  they 
were  right.  Revolutions  imply  the  impossibility  of  compro- 
mise. They  never  begin  until  overtures  are  ended.  Once 
begun  there  is  no  half-way  house  between  victory  and  death, 
Aud  they  can  only  die  with  honor  in  the  last  ditch. 


WAS  DA  VIS  A  TRAITOR  f  269 

"  Had  surrender  come  before  its  necessity  was  manifest  to  all 
mankind,  reproach,  derision,  and  contempt,  feud,  faction,  and 
recrimination  would  have  brought  an  aftermath  of  disorder 
and  terror ;  and  had  it  been  based  on  such  terms  as  those  which 
critics  have  suggested  a  glorious  revolution  would  have  been 
snuffed  out  like  a  farthing  candle  in  a  miserable  barter  about 
the  ransom  of  slaves. 

"  It  was  well  for  all  that  it  was  fought  to  the  finish  without 
compromise  either  tendered  or  entertained.  The  fact  that  it 
was  so  fought  out  gave  finality  to  its  result  and  well-nigh  ex- 
tinguished its  embers  with  its  flames.  No  drop  of  blood  be- 
tween Petersburg  and  Appomattox — not  one  in  the  last  charge 
was  shed  in  vain.  Peace  with  honor  must  pay  its  price,  even  if 
that  price  be  life  itself,  and  it  is  because  the  South  paid  that 
price  with  no  miser's  hand  that  her  surviving  soldiers  carried 
home  with  them  the  'consciousness  of  duty  faithfully  per- 
formed.' We  should  rejoice  that  if  weak  men  wavered  before 
the  end,  neither  Jefferson  Davis,  nor  Robert  Lee,  nor  Joseph 
Johnston  wavered.  Though  they  and  their  compeers  could  not 
achieve  the  independence  of  the  Confederacy  they  did  preserve 
the  independent  and  un shamed  spirit  of  their  people.  And  it 
is  in  that  spirit  now  that  men  of  the  South  find  their  shield 
against  calumny,  their  title  to  respect,  their  welcome  to  the 
brotherhood  of  noble  men,  and  their  incentive  to  noble  and 
unselfish  deeds. 

" '  If  you  would  know  why  Rome  was  great,'  says  a  student 
of  her  history,  '  consider  that  Roman  soldier  whose  armed 
skeleton  was  found  in  a  recess  near  the  gate  of  Pompeii. 
When  burst  the  sulphurous  storm  the  undaunted  hero  dropped 
the  visor  of  his  helmet  and  stood  there  to  die.' 

"  Would  you  know  why  the  South  is  great?  Look  on  the  new- 
made  grave  in  Louisiana,  and  consider  the  ragged  soldier  of 
Bentonville  and  Appomattox. 

"  After  the  Revolutionary  war  Samuel  Davis,  who  had  served 
in  it  as  one  of  the  mounted  men  of  Georgia,  settled  in  Ken- 
tucky. Pending  that  war,  in  1782,  the  very  year  that  George 
Rogers  Clarke  captured  Kaskasia,  Thomas  Lincoln,  of  Rock- 
ingham county,  Va.,  removed  to  the  same  State.  Jefferson 
Davis,  the  son  of  the  first-named  settler,  was  born  on  June  8. 
1808,  and  on  February  12, 1809.  was  born  the  son  of  the  other — 
Abraham  Lincoln.  Samuel  Davis  moved  to  Mississippi.  His 
son  became  a  cadet  at  West  Point  under  appointment  from 
President  Monroe,  and  soon,  commissioned  as  a  lieutenant  in 
the  United  States  army,  appeared  in  the  service  fighting  the 
Indians  on  the  frontier  in  the  Black  Hawk  war.    In  early  man* 


270  THE  DAVIS  MJEMOniAL  VOLUME. 

hood  Abraham  Lincoln  removed  to  Illinois,  and  now  becoming 
a  captain  of  volunteers  be  and  Jefferson  Davis  were  under  the 
game  flag  engaged  in  the  saixie  warfare. 

"John  H&.mpden  and  Oliver  Cromwell  had  once  engaged  pas- 
sage for  America,  and  George  Washington  was  about  to  become 
a  midshipman  in  the  British  navy.  Had  not  circumstances 
changed  these  plans  Hampden  and  Cromwell  might  have 
become  great  names  in  American  history.  And  suppose  Ad- 
miral George  Washington,  under  the  colors  of  King  George  III., 
had  been  pursuing  the  Count  D'Estaing,  whose  French  fleet 
hemmed  Cornwallis  in  at  Yorktown — Avho  knows  how  the  story 
of  the  great  Revolution  might  have  been  written?  Had  Jeffer- 
son Davis  gone  to  Illinois  and  Lincoln  to  Mississippi,  what 
different  histories  Vfould  be  around  those  names;  and  yet  I 
fancy  that  the  great  struggle  with  which  they  were  identified 
would  have  been  changed  only  in  incidents  and  not  in  its  great 
currents. 

"In  1835  Lieutenant  Davis  resigned  his  commission  in  the 
army,  intermarried  Miss  Taylor,  a  daughter  of  Colonel  Zachary 
Taylor,  and  retired  to  his  Mississippi  estate,  where  for  eight 
years  he  spent  his  time  in  literary  studies  and  agricultural 
pursuits — a  country  gentleman  with  a  full  library  and  broad 
acres. 

"  Such  life  as  his  was  that  of  John  Hampden  before  the 
country  squire  suddenly  emerged  from  obscurity  as  a  debater, 
a  leader  of  Parliament,  and  a  soldier  to  plead  and  fight  and  die 
in  the  people's  cause  against  a  tyrant's  and  a  tax-gatherer's 
exactions.  Such  life  as  his  was  that  of  many  of  the  fathers 
of  this  republic,  and  when  Jefferson  Davis  entered  public  life 
in  1843,  he  came  as  Washington,  Jefferson,  Madison,  Monroe, 
Henry,  Mason,  Clay,  Calhoun  and  Andrew  Jackson  had  come 
before  him — from  a  Southern  plantation,  where  he  had  been  the 
iiead  of  a  family  and  the  master  of  slaves. 

*'  From  1843  to  1861  the  life  of  Jefferson  Davis  was  spent  for 
the  most  part  in  public  services,  and  they  were  as  distinguished 
as  the  occasions  which  called  them  into  requisition  were  numer- 
ous and  important.  A  presidential  elector,  a  member  of  the 
House  of  Representatives,  a  United  States  Senator  (once  by 
appointment  and  twice  by  election),  a  colonel  of  the  Missis- 
sippi volunteers  in  Mexico,  twice  a  candidate  for  governor  of 
his  State  before  the  people,  these  designations  give  suggestion 
of  the  number  and  dignity  of  nis  employments. 

"How  he  led  the  Mississippi  riflemen  in  storming  Monterey 
without  bayonets  ;  how  ho  thrpw  them  into  the  famous  '  V '  to 
receive  a  ad  repulse  the  Mexican  lancers  at  the  crisis  of  the 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TliAlTOnf  ,271 

fealllo  of  Buena  Vista;  how,  though  wounded  and  bleeding 
from  a  musket-shot,  he  sat  his  horse  and  would  not  quit  the 
held  till  victory  had  crowned  it,  is  a  picture  that  hangs  con- 
spicuously in  the  galleries  of  our  history.  The  movement, 
prompt,  original,  and  decisive,  disclosed  the  general  of  rare 
ability ;  the  personal  conduct  avouched  the  hero. 

"  'Colonel  Davis,'  said  General  Taylor  in  his  report,  '  though 
ssverely  Avounded  remained  in  the  saddle  until  the  close  of  the 
ac  ion.  liis  distinguished  coolness  and  gallantry  at  the  head 
Ci  ris  regiment  on  this  day  entitle  him  to  the  particular  notice 
of  tfe  government.' 

'Colonel  Davis  won  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  and  Buena 
.Yista  made  General  Taylor  President. 

"  As  Secretary  of  War  in  the  Cabinet  of  President  Pierce,  a 
position  which  he  only  acceptQd  after  repeated  solicitation,  he 
was  an  officer  second  to  none  who  has  ever  administered  that 
department,  in  executive  faculty  and  in  benefits  bestowed  on 
the  military  service. 

"  It  was  under  his  direction  that  George  B.  McClellan,  then 
a  captain,  afterwards  general-in-chief  and  commander  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  was  sent  with  a  commission  to  the 
Crimea  to  observe  military  operations  and  to  study  the  tactics 
and  conditions  of  the  European  armies  there  engaged;  the 
result  of  which  introduced  many  improvements. 

"There  was  nothing  that  came  within  his  jurisdiction  that 
he  did  not  methodize  and  seek  to  extend  to  the  widest  range  of 
utility.  Material  changes  were  made  in  the  model  of  arms. 
Iron  gun-carriages  were  introduced  and  experiments  made 
which  led  to  the  casting  of  heavy  guns  hollow,  instead  of  boring 
them  after  the  casting.  The  army  was  increased  by  two  regi- 
ments of  cavalry  and  two  of  infantry.  Amongst  his  earnest 
recommendations  were  the  revision  of  army  regulations ;  the 
increase  of  the  medical  corps  ;  the  introduction  of  light-infantry 
tactics ;  rifled  muskets  and  balls ;  the  exploration  of  the  wes- 
tern frontiers,  and  the  maintenance  of  large  garrisons  for  the 
defense  of  settlers  against  the  Indians.  And  there  was  no 
direction  in  which  was  not  felt  his  comprehensive  understand^ 
ing  and  his  diligent  hand. 

"  His  efforts  to  obtain  increased  pay  for  officers  and  men  and 
pensions  to  their  widows  betokened  those  liberal  sentiments  to 
the  defenders  of  their  country  which  he  never  lost  opportunity 
to  evince  or  express. 

"He  refused  to  carry  politics  into  the  matter  of  clerical 
appointments,  and  in  selecting  a  clerk  was  indifferent  whether 
he  was  a  Democrat  or  a  Whig.     To  get  the  best  clerk  was  his  sole 


272  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

thought,  and  while  I  am  not  prepared  to  condemn  as  spoilsmen 
those  who  seek  agents  in  unison  with  their  principles,  I  can 
readily  recognize  the  simplicity  and  loftiness  of  a  nature  which 
pays  no  heed  to  considerations  of  partisan  advantage. 

"  The  confidence  which  he  inspired  was  indicated  by  the 
trust  reposed  in  him  by  Congress  to  take  charge  of  the  appro- 
priations made  for  the  construction  of  the  new  Senate  chamber 
and  Hall  of  Representatives,  and  of  those  also  to  locate  the  most 
eligible  route  for  the  railway  to  connect  the  Mississippi  Valley 
with  the  Pacific  Coast, 

"The  administration  of  Franklin  Pierce  closed  in  1857,  and 
it  had  presented  the  only  instance  in  our  history  of  a  cabinet 
unchanged  for  four  years  in  the  individuals  who  composed  it. 
None  have  filled  the  executive  chairwith  more  fidelity  to  public 
interests  than  Franklin  Pierce,  and  the  words  with  which  his 
Secretary  of  War  eulogized  him  were  worthily  spoken  by  one 
to  whom  they  were  equally  applicable  :  '  Chivalrous,  generous, 
amiable,  true  to  his  friends  and  his  faith,  frank  and  bold  in  his 
opinions,  he  never  deceived  any  one.  And  if  treachery  had 
ever  come  near  him  it  would  have  stood  abashed  in  the  presence 
of  his  truth,  his  manliness,  and  his  confiding  simplicity.' 

"  In  his  first  public  appearance  in  1843  Mr.  Davis  had  uttered 
the  key-note  of  his  political  faith  by  moving  to  instruct  the 
delegates  from  Mississippi  to  vote  for  John  C.  Calhoun  as  a 
presidential  nominee  in  a  National  Democratic  Convention. 

"  Calhoun  was,  as  he  regarded,  '  the  most  trusted  leader  of  the 
South  and  the  greatest  and  purest  statesman  of  the  Senate,'  and 
while  he  did  not  concur  in  his  doctrines  of  nullification,  he 
adopted  otherwise  his  constitutional  views,  and  in  the  most 
part  the  politics  which  he  advocated.  Taking  his  seat  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  in  December,  1845,  he  at  once 
launched  into  the  work  and  debates  of  that  body,  and  with  his 
first  address  made  that  impression  of  eloquence  and  power 
which  he  maintained  throughout  his  parliamentary  career. 
John  Quincy  Adams  is  said  to  have  predicted  on  hearing  it  that 
he  would  make  his  mark,  and  his  prophecy  was  very  soon  ful- 
filled. He  advocated  in  a  resolution  offered  by  himself  the  very 
first  month  of  his  service  the  conversion  of  some  of  the  military 
posts  into  schools  of  instruction,  and  the  substitution  of 
detachments  furnished  proportionately  by  the  States  for  the 
garrisons  of  enlisted  men  ;  and  on  the  29th  cf  the  same  month 
made  a  forcible  speech  against  Know-Noth:ngie'm,  which  was 
then  becoming  popular  He  had  barely  risen  ixito  uistinguished 
view  by  bis  positions  and  speeches  on  these  and  other  subjects, 
such  as  the   Mexican  war  and  the  Oregon  question,  ere  he 


WA  S  DA  VIS  A   TTtA  TTOR  f  273 

resigned  to  take  the  field  in  Mexico,  and  when  he  returned  to 
public  life  after  the  Mexican  war,  it  was  as  a  member  of  the 
United  States  Senate. 

"  It  was  in  that  body  that  his  rich  learning,  his  ready  infor- 
mation on  current  topics,  and  his  shining  abilities  as  an  orator 
and  debater  were  displayed  to  most  striking  advantage.  The 
great  triumvirate  Clay,  Webster,  and  Calhoun  Avere  in  the  Sen- 
ate then,  as  were  also  Cass,  Douglas,  Bright,  Dickinson,  King, 
and  others  of  renown,  and  when  Calhoun  ere  long  departed  this 
life  the  leadership  of  the  States'-Rights  party  fell  upon  Jeffer- 
son Davis. 

"  The  compromise  measures  of  Mr.  Clay  of  1850  he  opposed 
and  insisted  on  adhering  to  the  line  of  the  Missouri  compro- 
mise of  1820,  on  the  ground  that  '  loacification  had  been  the 
fruit  borne  by  that  tree  and  it  should  not  have  been  ruthlessly 
hewn  down  and  cast  into  the  fire.'  Meeting  Mr.  Clay  and  Mr. 
Berrien,  of  Georgia,  together  in  the  ^apitol  grounds  one  day 
Mr.  Clay  urged  him  in  a  friendly  way  to  support  his  bill,  saying 
he  thought  it  would  give  peace  to  the  country  for  thirty  years, 
and  then  he  added  to  Mr.  Berrien,  '  You  and  I  will  be  under  the 
ground  before  that  time,  but  our  young  friend  here  may  have 
trouble  to  meet.' 

"  Mr.  Davis  replied :  '  I  cannot  consent  to  transfer  to  posterity 
an  issue  that  is  as  much  ours  as  theirs,  when  it  is  evident  that 
the  sectional  inequality  will  be  greater  than  now  and  render 
hopeless  the  attainment  of  justice.' 

"This  was  his  disposition,  never  to  evade  or  shift  responsi- 
bility, and  that  he  did  meet  it  is  the  reason  why  the  issue  is 
now  settled,  and  that  ourselves,  not  our  children,  were  involved 
in  civil  war. 

"  When  Clay  on  one  occasion  bantered  him  to  future  discus- 
sion, 'now  is  the  moment,'  was  his  prompt  rejoinder.  But 
these  collisions  of  debate  did  not  chill  the  personal  relations  of 
these  two  great  leaders.  Henry  Clay  was  full  of  that  generosity 
which  recognized  the  foeman  Avorthy  of  his  steel,  and  frequently 
evinced  his  admiration  and  friendship  for  Jefferson  Davis. 
Besides,  there  was  a  tie  between  them  that  breathed  peace  over 
all  political  antagonisms.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Clay,  the  son  of 
the  Whig  leader,  had  been  slain  in  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista. 
'My  poor  boy,"'  said  he  to  Senator  Davis,  'usually  occupied 
about  one  half  of  his  letters  home  in  praising  you,'  and  his 
eyes  filled  with  tears.  When  turning  to  him  once  in  debate,  he 
said  :  '  My  friend  from  Mississippi,  and  I  trust  that  he  will  per- 
mit me  to  call  him  my  friend,  for  between  us  there  is  a  tie  the 
nature  of  which  we  both  understand.' 
18 


274  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

"Without  following,  as  indeed  I  could  not  in  this  brief  hour, 
the  bearings  of  questions  that  came  before  the  Senate  during 
his  service,  or  portraying  the  scenes  of  digladiation  in  which 
they  were  dealt  with,  I  but  pronounce  the  general  verdict  when 
I  BKy  that  his  great  parliamentary  gifts  ranked  him  easily  with 
the  foremost  men  of  that  body.  He  was  measured  by  the  side 
of  the  giants  of  his  time  and  in  nothing  found  unequal. 

"  In  connection  with  the  Mexican  war  two  speeches  were 
made  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  which  were  filled  with 
the  doctrines  which  all  Americans  have  inherited  from  the 
fathers  of  the  republic. 

"  The  one  of  them  was  made  by  a  man  who  with  a  mind  as 
broad  as  the  continent  advocated  the  railroad  to  connect  the 
Mississippi  Valley  with  the  West,  and  who  poured  out  from 
a  heart  thrilling  with  the  great  traditions  of  his  country  inspir- 
ing appeal  for  fraternity  and  union.  .  • 

" '  We  turn,'  said  he  '  from  present  hostility  to  former  friend- 
ship, from  recent  defection  to  the  time  when  Massachusetts  and 
Virginia,  the  stronger  brothers  of  our  family,  stood  foremost 
and  united  to  defend  our  common  rights.  From  sire  to  son  has 
descended  the  love  of  our  Union  in  our  hearts,  as  in  our  his- 
tory are  mingled  the  names  of  Concord  and  Camden,  of  York- 
town  and  Saratoga,  of  Monetrio  and  Plattsburgh,  of  Chippewa 
and  Erie,  of  Bowyer  and  Guilford,  and  New  Orleans  and  Bun- 
ker Hill.  Grouped  together  they  form  a  monument  to  the  com- 
mon glory  of  our  common  country ;  and  where  is  the  southern 
man  who  would  wish  that  monument  even  less  by  one  of  the 
northern  names  that  constitute  the  mass?  Who,  standing  on  the 
ground  made  sacred  by  the  blood  of  Warren,  could  allow  sec- 
tional feeling  to  curb  his  enthusiasm  as  he  looked  upon  that 
obelisk  which  rises  a  monument  to  freedom's  and  his  country's 
triumph,  and  stands  a  type  of  the  time,  the  men,  and  event  it 
commemorates ;  built  of  material  that  mocks  the  waves  of 
time,  without  niche  or  moulding  for  parasite  or  creeping  thing 
to  rest  on,  and  pointing  like  a  finger  to  the  sky,  to  raise  man's 
thoughts  to  philanthropic  and  noble  deeds.' 

"  Scarce  had  these  words  died  upon  the  air  when  there  arose 
another  in  the  House  of  Representatives  on  February  12,  1848 
— one  who  had  just  voted  that  the  war  with  Mexico  was  unnec- 
essary and  unconstitutional,  and  who  now  based  his  views  of 
the  rights  attaching  by  the  conquest  on  the  rights  of  revolu- 
tion.    He  said ; 

"  '  Any  people  anywhere  being  inclined  and  having  the  power, 
have  the  right  to  rise  up  and  shake  off  the  existing  govern- 
laeut  and  form  a  new  oue  that  suits  them  better, 


Was  DAVIS  A  traitor?  .  27i 

"'This  is  a  most  valuable  and  most  sacred  right — a  right 
which  "\ve  hope  and  believe  is  to  liberate  the  world. 

'"Nor  is  this  right  confined  to  cases  in  which  the  whole 
people  of  an  existing  government  may  choose  to  exercise  it. 

"'Any  portion  of  such  people  that  can  may  revolutionize, 
putting  down  a  minority  intermingled  with  or  near  about  them 
who  o})pose  their  movements. 

"'Such  a  minority  was  precisely  the  case  of  the  tories  of  the 
Revolution.  It  is  a  quality  of  revolutions  not  to  go  by  old  lines 
or  old  laws,  but  to  break  up  both  and  make  new  ones.' 

"  Who,  think  you,  my  countrymen,  were  these  spokesmen? 

"  The  one  who  thus  glorified  the  Union  was  the  Kentucky 
boy  who  had  moved  to  Mississippi,  and  was  about  to  lead  her 
soldiers  under  the  stars  and  stripes  in  battle,  and  who  now  fills 
the  grave  of  a  disfranchised  citizen.  The  other,  who  thus  held 
up  revolution  as  the  right  which  was  '  to  liberate  the  world,' 
was  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  Kentucky  boy  Avho  moved  to  Illinois, 
and  who  is  now  hailed  '  as  the  defender  and  preserver  of  the 
nation.' 

"  Success  has  elevated  the  one  to  a  high  niche  in  Fame's 
proud  temple.  But  can  failure  deny  to  the  other  entrance 
there  when  we  remember  that  the  Temple  of  Virtue  is  the  gate- 
way of  the  Temple  of  Fame?  Both  of  them  in  their  speeches 
then  stood  for  American  principles;  both  of  them  in  their  lives 
afterwards  were  the  foremost  champions  of  American  princi- 
ples; both  of  them  were  revolutionists,  and  as  such  must  be 
judged ;  and  Jefferson  Davis  never  advocated  an  idea  that  did 
not  have  its  foundation  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence; 
that  was  not  deducible  from  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States  as  the  fathers  who  made  it  interpreted  its  meaning; 
that  had  not  been  rung  into  his  ears  and  stamped  upon  his 
heart  from  the  hour  when  his  father  baptized  him  in  the  name 
of  Jefferson  and  he  first  saw  the  light  in  a  commonwealth  that 
was  yet  vocal  with  the  State's-Right  resolutions  of  1798. 

"We  cannot  see  the  hand  on  the  dial  as  it  moves,  but  it  does 
move  nevertheless,  and  so  surely  as  it  keeps  pace  with  the  cir- 
cling sun,  so  surely  will  the  hour  come  when  the  misundor- 
standings  of  the  past  will  be  reconciled  and  its  clamors  die 
away — and  then  it  will  be  recognized  by  all  that  Jefferson  Davis 
was  more  than  the  representative  of  a  section,  more  than  the 
intelligent  guide  of  a  revolution,  more  than  the  champion  of 
secession.  He  will  stand  revealed  as  a  political  philosopher  to 
be  numbered  amongst  the  great  expounders  of  American  prin- 
ciples and  the  great  heroes  and  champions  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
race.     When  the  turbid  streams  of  war  have  cleared  and  flow 


276  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

evenly  in  their  channels  it  will  be  also  seen  that  underneath 
the  hostile  currents  which  impelled  two  great  peoples  in  colli- 
sion there  was  a  unity  of  sentiment  which,  operating  from 
different  poles  of  circumstances  and  interest,  threw  into  sepa- 
rate masses  those  who  by  natural  instinct  would  have  cohered 
together. 

"  It  is  easier  to  note  the  dilTerences  that  float  upon  the  surface 
of  social  organizations  than  to  delect  the  congruities  and  iden- 
tities that  lie  beneath  them;  and  critics  'in  their  analyses  of 
character  are  more  prone  to  exhibit  the  striking  antitheses  of 
contrast  than  to  linger  upon  the  neutral  colors  which  are  com- 
mon and  undistinguishing. 

"  Some  fancy  that  they  discern  the  germs  of  the  controversy 
of  1861  in  dilferences  between  the  groups  of  colonists  which 
settled  in  Virginia  and  in  Massachusetts,  and  which  they 
think  impressed  upon  the  incipient  civilizations  of  the  North 
and  South  opposing  characteristics.  The  one,  they  say,  brought 
Ihe  notions  of  the  Cavaliers,  the  other  of  the  Puritans  to 
America,  and  that  an  irrepressible  conflict  existed  between 
them.  To  so  believe  is  to  be  deceived  by  the  merest  surface 
indications.  The  Puritans  and  the  Cavaliers  of  England  have 
long  since  settled  their  differences  in  the  Old  ^Vorld,  and 
become  so  assimilated  that  the  traces  of  old-time  quarrel,  and 
indeed  of  political  identity,  have  been  completely  obliterated; 
and  it  would  be  strange  indeed  if  in  little  England  they  of  the 
same  race  and  language  were  thus  blended,  that  in  America, 
where  social  adaptation  is  so  much  easier  and  more  rapid, 
they  should  have  remained  separate  and  hostile.  Many  Cav- 
aliers went  to  New  England,  and  many  Puritans  came  to  Vir- 
ginia and  the  South,  and  their  differences  disappeared  as 
quickly  as  they  now  disappear  between  disciples  of  different 
parties  from  different  sections  when  thrown  into  new  surround- 
ings with  common  interests. 

"  To  understand  the-  causes  of  conflict  we  must  consider  the 
unities  of  our  race  and  note  the  interventions  of  local  causes 
which  differentiated  its  northern  and  southern  segments. 

"  When  this  is  done  it  will  be  realized  that  each  section  has 
been  guided  by  the  predominant  traits  which  it  possessed  in 
common,  and  which  inhered  in  the  very  blood  of  its  people, 
and  that  differences  of  physical  surrounding,  not  the  differ- 
ences of  moral  and  intellectual  character,  led  to  their  crystalli- 
zation in  masses  separated  by  diversities  of  interest  and  opin- 
ion and  their  resulting  passions.  These  diverse  interests  and 
opinions  sprung  out  of  the  very-  soil  on  which  they  made  their 
homes  even  as  the  pine  rises  to  towering  heights  in  the  granite 


WAS  DA  VIS  A  TnAlTOR  f  277 

hille  of  the  Nortli,  and  the  palmetto  spreads  its  luxuriant 
foliage  on  the  southland.  The  bear  of  the.  Polar  region  takps 
his  -whiteness  from  the  cold  sky,  and  the  bear  of  the  tropics 
turns  dark  under  the  blazing  heavens.  The  same  breeze  upon 
the  high  seas  impels  one  ship  north,  another  south,  one  east 
and  another  west  according  to  the  angle  in  which  it  strikes  the 
sail.  Natural  causes  operating  under  fixed  laws  changed  the 
civilization  of  the  North  and  South,  but  though  their  people 
Avere  moved  in  opposite  directions  he  who  searches  for  the 
impelling  forces  will  find  them  nearly,  if  not  quite,    identical. 

"  What  are  the  unities  of  our  race?  They  are — first,  aversion 
to  human  bondage ;  second,  race  integrity  ;  third,  thirst  for 
power  and  broad  empire;  fourth,  love  of  confederated  union ; 
fifth,  assertion  of  local  liberty,  if  possible,  within  the  bounds 
of  geographical  and  governmental  union ;  sixth*  but  assertion 
of  local  liberty  and  individual  right  under  all  circumstances, 
at  all  times,  and  at  any  cost.  These  traits  are  so  strong  as  to 
be  the  natural  laws  of  the  race.  One  or  another  of  them  has 
lost  its  balance  in  the  conflict  between  interest  and  instinct, 
but  only  to  reappear  with  renewed  vigor  when  the  supprpss- 
ing  circumstances  were  removed;  and  he  who  follows  their 
operation  will  hold  the  key  to  the  ascendancy  of  Anglo-Saxon 
character,  and  to  its  wonderful  success  in  grasping  imperial 
domains  and  croAvning  freedom  as  their  sovereign. 

"  It  will  not  do  to  dispute  the  existence  of  these  natural  laws 
of  race,  because  they  have  been  time  and  again  overruled  by 
greed,  by  ambition,  or  by  the  overwhelming  influence  of  alien 
or  hostile  forces.  As  well  dispute  the  courage  of  the  race 
because  now  and  then  a  division  of  its  troops  have  become 
demoralized  and  broken  in  battle.  Through  the  force  of  these 
laws  this  race  has  gone  around  the  globe  with  bugles  and 
swords,  and  banners  and  hymn-books,  and  school-books  and 
constitutions,  and  codes  and  courts,  striking  down  old-time 
dynasties  to  ordain  free  principles;  SAveeping  awaj^  barbaric 
and  savage  races  that  their  own  seed  might  be  planted  in  fruit- 
ful lands  ;  disdaining  miscegenation  with  inferior  races,  which 
corrupts  the  blood  and  degenerates  the  physical,  mental,  and 
moral  nature ;  widening  the  boundaries  of  their  landed  pos- 
sessions, parcelling  them  out  in  municipal  sub-divisions,  and 
then  establishing  the  maximum  of  local  and  individual  privi- 
lege consistent  with  the  common  defense  and  general  welfare 
of  their  grand  aggregations;  and  then  again  rising  in  the 
supreme  sovereignty  of  unfearing  manhood  against  the  oppres- 
sions of  the  tax-gatherer  and  the  sword,  re-casting  their  insti- 
tutions,   flinging  rulers   from   their  high    places,  wrenching 


278  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

government  by  the  mailed  hand  into  consistency  witli  their 
happiness  and  safety,  and  proclaiming  above  all  the  faith  of 
Jefferson — '  that  liberty  is  the  gift  of  God.' 

"  I  shall  maintain  that  the  Southern  people  have  been  'as 
true  to  these  instincts  as  any  portion  of  their  race,  and  have 
made  for  them  as  great  sacrifices ;  that  the  Southern  Confed- 
eracy grew  out  of  them,  and  only  in  a  subsidiary  degree  in 
antagonism  to  any  one  of  them ;  and  I  shall  also  maintain  that 
Jefferson  Davis  is  entitled  to  stand  in  the  Pantheon  of  the 
world's  great  men  on  a  pedestal  not  less  high  than  those  erected 
for  the  images  of  Hampden,  Sidney,  Cromwell,  Burke,  and 
Chatham,  of  the  fatherland,  and  Washington  and  Hamilton, 
Jefferson  and  Adams,  Madison  and  Franklin,  of  the  New 
World,  who,  however  varying  in  circumstances  or  in  person- 
ality, were  liberty-leaders  and  representatives  of  great  peoples, 
great  ideas,  and  great  deeds. 

"  On  what  ground  will  he  bo  challenged?  Did  not  the  South- 
ern folk  show  originally  an  aversion  to  slavery  more  manifestly 
even  than  those  of  the  North?  South  Carolina  protested  against 
it  as  early  as  1727,  and  as  late  as  1760.  Georgia  prohibited  it 
by  law.  Virginia  sternly  set  her  face  against  it  and  levied  a 
tax  of  ten  dollars  per  head  on  every  negro  to  prevent  it.  They 
were  all  overridden  by  the  avarice  of  English  merchants  and 
the  despotism  of  English  ministers.  'Do  as  you  would  be 
done  by '  is  not  yet  the  maxim  of  our  race,  which  will  push 
off  on  its  weaker  brethren  that  it  will  not  itself  accept: 
and  thus  slavery  was  thrust  on  the  South ;  an  uninvited — aye, 
a  forbidd-^n  guest.  Quickly  did  the  South  stop  the  slave  trade. 
Though  the  constitution  forbade  the  Congress  to  prohibit  it 
prior  to  1808,  when  that  year  came  every  Southern  State  had 
itself  prohibited  it,  Virginia  leading  \h.Q  list.  When  Jefferson 
Davis  was  born  it  was  gone  altogether  save  in  one  State,  South 
Carolina,  where  it  had  been  revived  under  combination  between 
large  planters  of  the  South  and  ship-owners  and  slave-traders 
of  the  North. 

"  Fine  exhibition,  too,  was  that  of  unselfish  Southern  patri- 
otism when  in  1787  by  Southern  votes  and  Virginia's  gene- 
rosityy  and  under  Jefferson's  lead,  the  great  northwestern 
territory  was  given  to  the  Union  and  to  freedom. 

*'  But  the  South  yielded  to  slavery,  we  are  told.  Yes ;  but 
did  not  all  America  do  likewise?  Do  we  not  know  that  the 
Pilgrim  fathers  enslaved  both  the  Indian  and  African  race, 
swapping  young  Indians  for  the  more  docile  blacks,  lest  the 
red  slave  might  escape  to  his  native  forest? 

*'  Listen  to  this  appeal  to  Governor  Winthrop :  '  Mr.  Endicott 
n^d  myself  salute  -'ou  on  the  Lord  Jesus.    We  have  heard  xd  a 


'^AS  BA  yJS  A  TBAITOBf  279 

division  of  women  and  children  and  would  be  glad  of  a  share 
— viz.,  a  young  woroan  or  a  girl  and  a  boy  if  you  think  good.' 

"Do  we  not  hear  Winthrop  himself  recount  how  the  Pequods 
were  taken  '  through  the  Lord's  great  mercy,  of  whom  the  males 
were  sent  to  Bermuda  and  the  females  distributed  through  the 
bay  towns  to  be  employed  as  domestic  servants  ?  '  Did  not  the 
prisoners  of  King  Philip's  war  suffer  a  similar  fate?  Is  it  not 
written  that  when  one  hundred  and  fifty  Indians  came  volun- 
tarily into  the  Plymouth  garrison  they  were  all  sold  into  cap- 
tivity beyond  the  seas?  Did  not  Downing  declare  to  Winthrop 
'if  upon  a  just  war  the  Lord  should  deliver  them  (the  Narra- 
gansetts)  we  might  easily  have  men,  women,  and  children 
enough  to  exchange  for  Moors,  which  will  be  more  gainful  pil- 
lage to  us  than  we  can  conceive,  for  I  do  not  see  how  we  can 
thrive  until  we  get  in  a  stock  of  slaves  sufficient  to  do  all  our 
business?'  Were  not  choice  .parcels  of  negro  boys  and  girls 
consigned  to  Boston  from  the  Indies  and  advertised  and  sold 
at  auction  until  after  independence  was  declared?  Was  not 
the  first  slave  ship  in  America  fitted  out  by  the  Pilgrim  colony? 
Was  not  the  first  statute  establishing  slavery  enacted  in  Mas- 
sachusetts in  1641,  with  a  certain  comic  comprehensiveness 
providing  that  there  should  '  never  be  any  bond  slavery  unless 
it  be  of  captives  taken  in  just  war,  or  of  such  as  willingly  sold 
themselves  or  were  sold  to  them?'  Did  not  the  united  colonies 
of  New  England  constitute  the  first  American  confederacy  that 
recognized  slavery;  and  was  not  the  first  fugitive  slave  law 
originated  at  their  bidding?  All  this  is  true.  Speak  slowly, 
then,  0  1  man  of  the  North,  against  the  southern  slave  owners, 
or  the  southern  chief,  lest  you  cast  down  the  images  of  your 
ancestors,  and  their  spirits  rise  to  rebuke  you  for  treading 
harshly  on  their  graves.  On  days  of  public  festival  when  you 
hold  them  up  as  patterns  of  patriotism,  take  care  lest  you  be 
accused  of  passing  the  counterfeit  coin  of  praise.  Disturb  not 
too  rudely  the  m'^'mories  of  the  men  who  defended  slavery ;  say 
naught  of  moral  obliquity,  lest  the  venerable  images  of  Win- 
throp and  Endicott  bo  torn  from  the  historic  pages  of  the  Pil- 
grim Land,  and  the  fathers  of  Plymouth  Rock  be  cast  into 
utter  darkness. 

"When  independence  was  declared  at  Philadelphia  in  1776, 
America  was  yet  a  unit  in  the  possession  of  slaves,  and  when 
the  constitution  of  1787  was  ordained  the  institution  still 
existed  in  every  one  of  the  thirteen  States  save  Massachusetts 
only.  True  its  decay  had  begun  where  it  was  no  longer  profit- 
able, but  every  State  united  in  its  recognition  in  the  Federal 
compact,  and  the  very  fabric  oi  on  representative  goverumeut 


2S0  TME  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

was  built  upon  it,  as  three-fifths  of  the  slaves  were  counted  in  the 

basis  of  representation  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States, 
and  property  in  it  was  protected  by  rigid  provisions  regarding  the 
rendition  of  fugitive  slaves  escaping  from  one  State  to  another. 

"  Thus  embodied  in  the  constitution,  thus  interwoven  with 
ih.Q  very  integuments  of  our  political  system,  thus  sustained 
by  the  oath  to  support  the  constitution,  executed  by  every 
public  servant  and  by  the  decisions  of  the  supreme  tribunals, 
slavery  was  ratified  by  the  unanimous  voice  of  the  nation,  and 
was  consecrated  as  an  American  institution  and  as  a  vested 
right  by  the  most  solemn  pledge  and  sanction  that  man  can 
give. 

"  Deny  to  Jefferson  Davis  entry  to  the  Temple  of  Fame  be- 
cause he  defended  it?  Cast  out  of  it  first  the  fathers  of  the 
republic.  Brand  with  the  mark  of  condemnation  the  whole 
people  from  whom  he  inherited  the  obligation,  and  by  whom 
was  imposed  upon  him  the  oath  to  support  their  deed.  America 
must  prostrate  herself  in  sackcloth  and  ashes,  repent  her  his- 
tory, and  revile  her  creators  and  her  being  ere  she  can  call 
recreant  the  man  of  1861  who  defended  the  heritage  and 
promise  of  a  nation. 

"  There  is  a  statue  in  Washington  city  of  him  who  utter«d 
the  words  'charity  to  all,  malice  to  none,'  and  he  is  represented 
in  the  act  of  breaking  the  manacles  of  a  slave. 

"  Suppose  there  were  carved  on  its  pedestal  the  words  :  '  Do 
the  southern  people  really  entertain  fears  that  a  Republican 
administration  would  directly  or  indirectly  interfere  with  the 
slaves,  or  with  them  about  their  slaves? ' 

"  '  The  South  would  be  in  no  more  danger  in  this  respect  than 
it  was  in  the  days  of  Washington.' 

"  This  was  his  utterance  December  22,  1860,  after  South 
Carolina  had  seceded. 

"  Carve  again : 

"  '  I  have  no  purpose  directly  or  indirectly  to  interfere  with 
the  institution  of  slavery  iii  the  States  where  it  now  exists.  I 
believe  I  have  no  lawful  right  to  do  so,  and  I  have  no  inclina- 
tion to  do  so.'  These  are  the  words  of  his  inaugural  address 
March  4,  1861. 

*'  Carve  yet  again  : 

"  '  Resolved,  That  this  war  is  not  waged  upon  our  part  with  any 
purpose  of  overthrowing  or  interfering  with  the  rights  or  estab- 
lished institutions  of  these  States,  but  to  defend  and  maintain 
the  supremacy  of  the  constitution  and  to  preserve  the  Union.' 

"This  resolution  Congress  passed  (and  he  signed  it)  after 
the  first  battle  of  Manassas, 


WAS  JDAVIS  A  THAITOHf  281 

"  And  yet  once  more  : 

"'I  did  not  at  any  time  say  that  I  was  in  favor  of  negro  suf- 
frage. I  declared  against  it.  I  am  not  in  favor  of  negro  citizen- 
ship,' 

"  This  opinion  he  never  changed. 

"  These  things  show  in  the  light  of  events — the  emancipation 
jjroclamation,  the  reconstruction  acts,  the  black  suffrage,  the 
anarchy  that  reigned — that  the  South  read  truly  the  signs  of  the 
irrepressible  conflict. 

"  They  show  further  that  by  the  right  of  revolution  alone  can 
Abraham  Lincoln  be  defended  in  overthrowing  the  institution 
which  he  pledged  himself  to  guard  like  Washington,  and  with 
it  the  constitution  which  he  had  sworn  '  to  defend  and  main- 
tain.' And  if  Jefferson  Davis  appealed  to  the  sword  and  need 
the  mantle  of  charity  to  cover  him,  where  would  Lincoln  stand 
unless  the  right  of  revolution  stretched  that  mantle  wide,  and 
a  great  people  wrapped  him  in  its  mighty  folds? 

"  As  time  wore  on  the  homogeneous  order  of  the  American 
people  changed.  It  was  not  conscience  but  climate  and  soil 
which  effected  this  change,  or  rather  the  instinct  of  aversion  to 
bondage  rose  wp  in  the  North  just  in  proportion  as  the  tempta- 
tion of  interest  subsided. 

"  The  inhospitable  soil  of  New  England  repelled  the  pursuits 
of  agriculture  and  compelled  to  those  of  commerce  and  the 
mechanic  arts.  In  these  the  rude  labor  of  the  untutored  Afri- 
can was  unprofitable,  and  the  harsh  climate  was  uncongenial 
to  the  children  of  the  Dark  Continent  translated  from  its  burn- 
ing suns  to  these  frigid  shores.  Slavery  there  was  an  exotic ; 
it  did  not  pay,  and  its  roots  soon  decayed,  like  the  roots  of  a 
tropic  plant  in  the  Arctic  zone. 

"  In  the  fertile  plantations  of  the  sunny  South  there  was 
employment  for  the  unskilled  labor  of  the  African,  and  under  its 
genial  skies  he  found  a  fitting  home.  Henco  natural  causes 
ejected  him  from  the  North  and  propelled  him  southward;  and 
as  the  institution  of  slavery  decayed  in  northern  latitudes  it 
thrived  and  prospered  in  the  southern  clime. 

"The  demand  for  labor  in  the  North  was  rapidly  supplied  by 
new  accessions  of  Europeans,  and  as  the  population  increased 
their  opinions  were  moulded  by  the  body  of  the  society  whiQh 
absorbed  and  assimilated  them  as  they  came ;  while  on  the 
other  hand  the  presence  of  masses  of  black  men  in  the 
South,  and  the  reliance  upon  them  for  labor,  repelled  in  both 
social  and  economical  aspects  the  European  immigrants  who 
eagerly  sought  for  homes  and  employment  in  the  New  World. 
More  than  this,  northern  manufacturers  wanted  high  tariffs  Uj 


282  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

secure  high  prices  for  their  products  in  southern  markets,  and 
southern  farmers  wanted  low  tariffs  that  they  might  buy 
cheaply.  Ere  long  it  appeared  that  two  opposing  civilizations 
lay  alongside  of  each  other  in  the  United  States;  and  while  the 
roof  of  a  common  government  was  over  both  of  them,  it  cov- 
ered a  household  divided  against  itself  in  the  very  structure  of 
Its  domestic  life,  in  the  nature  of  its  avocations,  in  the  econo- 
mies of  its  labor,  and  in  the  very  tone  of  its  thought  and  aspi- 
ration. 

"  Revolution  was  in  the  air.  An  irrepressible  conflict  had 
arisen, 

"  There  were  indeed  two  revolutions  forming  in  the  American 
republic.  The  one  was  a  northern  revolution  against  a  consti- 
tution which  haa  become  distasteful  to  its  sentiments  and 
unsuited  to  ita  needs.  As  the  population  of  the  east  moved 
westward  across  the  continent  the  southern  emigrant  to  the  new 
territories  wished  to  carry  with  him  his  household  servants, 
while  the  northerner  saw  in  the  negro  a  rival  in  the  field  of 
labor,  W'hich  cheapened  its  fruits  and  degraded,  as  he  conceived, 
its  social  status. 

"Thus  broke  out  the  strife  which  raged  in  the  territories  of 
northern  latitudes,  and  as  it  widened  it  assailed  slavery  in 
every  form,  and  denounced  as  '  a  covenant  with  death  and  with 
hell '  the  constitution  which  had  guaranteed  its  existence. 

"  The  formula  of  the  northern  revolution  was  made  by  such 
men  as  Charles  Sumnerj  ^rho  took  the  ground  of  the  higher  law, 
that  the  constitution  w^as  itself  unconstitutional,  and  that  it 
was  not  in  the  power  of  man  to  create  by  oath  or  mandate  pro- 
perty in  a  slave;  a  revolutionary  idea  striking  to  the  root  and 
to  the  subversion  of  the  fundamental  law  which  Washington, 
Adams,  Franklin,  Hamilton,  Madison,  and  their  compeers  had 
joined  in  making,  and  under  which  the  United  States  had 
fought  its  battle  and  attained  its  wonderful  growth  for  thre? 
quarters  of  a  century. 

"'The  Impending  Crisis,'  Helper's  book,  appeared,  and, 
endorsed  by  sixty-eight  abolition  members  of  Congress,  went 
far  and  wide.  The  spirit  of  the  times  is  indicated  in  its  doc- 
trines. '  Never  another  vote  for  a  slavery  advocate ;  no  co-ope- 
ration with  slavery  in  politics;  no  fellowship  in  religion;  no 
affiliation  in  society;  no  patronage  to  pro-slavery  merchants; 
no  guestship  in  a  slave-Avaiting  hotel ;  no  fee  to  a  pro-slavery 
lawyer;  none  to  a  pro-slavery  physician;  no  audience  to  a  pro- 
slavery  parson;  no  subscriptjon  to  a  pro-slavery  newspaper; 
no  hiring  of  a  slave;  but  the  utmost  encouragement  of  ^ Free 
White  Labor.'  '  Free  White  Labor  1 '  This  was  the  northern 
giaut  that  stalked  into  the  field. 


WAS  DA  VIS  A  THAITOJR  f  288 

"  Meantime,  the  Northern  revolution  against  the  constitution 
wf>3  being  combatted  by  the  rise  of  the  Southern  revolution 
looking  to  withdrawal  from  a  Union  whose  constitution  was 
unacceptable  to  the  Northern  people. 

"  But  it  was  not  hatred  to  Union  or  love  of  slavery  that  in- 
spired the  South  nor  love  of  the  negro  that  inspired  the  North. 
Profounder  thouglits  and  interests  lay  beneath  these  currents. 
The  rivalry  of  cheap  negro  labor,  aversion  to  the  negro  and  to 
slavery  alike  were  the  spurs  of  Northern  action ;  that  of  the 
South  was  race  integrity.  Free  White  Dominion  I  The  South- 
ern giant  rose  and  faced  its  foe. 

"The  instinct  of  race  integrity  is  the  most  glorious,  as  it  is 
the  predominant  characteristic  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  and 
the  sections  have  it  in  common.  Fiercely  did  it  sweep  the  red 
men  before  it;  swiftly  did  it  brush  away  the  Chinese  in  the 
West  and  North,  burning  their  homes,  cutting  their  throats 
when  they  pressed  too  hard  in  rivalry,  and  then  breaking 
treaties  to  hurl  them  back  across  the  Pacific  ocean  to  their  na- 
tive shores.  Four  million  of  black  men  lived  in  the  South  side 
by  side  with  the  white  race ;  and  race  integrity  now  incensed 
the  South  to  action. 

"  Look  farther  southward  beyond  the  confines  of  our  country 
and  behold  how  the  Latin  races  have  commingled  their  blood 
with  the  aborigines  and  the  negroes,  creating  mongrel  repub- 
lics and  empires  where  society  is  debased  and  where  govern- 
ments resting  on  no  clear  principles,  swing  like  pendulums 
between  the  extremes  of  tyranny  and  license. 

"  On  the  contrary,  the  American  element  at  the  South,  and  I 
quote  a  profound  Northern  writer  in  saying  it,  'guarded  itself 
with  the  strictest  jealousy  from  any  such  baleful  contamina- 
tions.' But  what  a  picture  of  horror  rose  before  its  eyes  as  it 
contemplated  the  freeing  of  the  slaves.  John  C.  Calhoun  had 
drawn  that  picture  in  vivid  colors  which  now  recalling  the  days 
of  carpet-bag  and  negro  ascendancy  seems  like  a  prophet's 
vision.  'If  I  owned  the  four  millions  of  slaves  in  the  South,' 
said  Robert  Lee,  'I  would  sacrifice  all  for  the  Union.'  And  so 
indeed  would  the  southern  people.  But  Lee  never  indicated 
hoAV  such  sacrifice  could  obtain  its  object,  nor  was  it  possible 
that  it  could.  It  was  not  the  property  invested  in  the  slave 
that  stood  in  the  way,  for  emancipation  with  compensation  for 
them  was  then  practicable,  and  was  again  practicable  in  early 
stages  of  the  war,  and  was  indeed  offered.  But  free  the  slaves, 
they  would  become  voters ;  becoming  voters  they  would  pre- 
dominate in  numbers,  and  so  predominating  what  would  h^-. 
Qomo  of  white  civilization  ? 


2S4  THE  DA  VJ^  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

"  This  was  the  question  which  prevented  emancipation  in 
Virginia  in  1832.  Kill  slavery — what  will  you  do  with  the 
corpse?  Only  silent  mystery  and  awful  dread  answered  that 
(Question  in  1861,  while  the  clamors  of  abolition  grew  louder, 
and  the  forces  were  accumulating  strength  to  force  the  issue. 
In  fourteen  northern  States  the  fugitive  slave  law  had  been 
nullified.  In  new  territories  armed  mobs  denied  access  to 
southern  masters  with  their  slaves.  Xegro  equality  became  a 
text  of  the  hustings  and  incendiary  appeals  to  the  slaves  them- 
selves to  murder  and  burn  filled  the  mails. 

"  The  insurrection  of  Nat  Turner  had  given  forecast  of  scenes 
as  horrible  as  those  of  the  French  revolution,  and  the  bloody 
butcheries  of  San  Domingo  seemed  like  an  appalling  warning 
of  the  drama  to  be  enacted  on  southern  soil. 

^' The  crisis  was  now  hastened  by  two  events.  In  1854  the 
Supreme  Court  in  the  Dred  Scott  decision  declared  the  Missouri 
compromise  of  1820,  which  limited  the  extension  of  slavery  to 
a  certain  line  of  latitude,  unconstitutional.  This  was  welcome 
to  the  South  but  it  fired  the  northern  heart.  In  1859  John 
Brown,  fresh  from  the  border  warfare  of  Kansas,  suddenly 
appeared  at  Harper's  Ferry  with  a  band  of  misguided  men,  and 
murdering  innocent  citizens  invoked  the  insurrection  of  the 
slaves.  This  solidified  and  almost  frenzied  the  South  and  in 
turn  the  fate  he  suffered  threw  oil  upon  the  northern  flames. 
Thus  fell  out  of  the  gathering  clouds  the  first  big  drops  of  the 
bloody  storm.  In  1860  Abraham  Lincoln  was  elected  President, 
and  in  his  inaugural  address  he  proclaimed  his  party's  creed 
that  the  Dred  Scott  decision  might  be  reversed.  The  southern 
States  were  already  in  procession  of  secession.  The  high  tides 
of  the  revolution  were  in  their  flow. 

"  Pause  now  upon  the  threshold,  and  geography  and  history 
will  alike  tell  you  that  neither  in  its  people  nor  its  leader  was 
there  lack  of  love  for  the  Union,  and  that  it  was  with  sad  hearts 
that  they  saw  its  ligaments  torn  asunder.  Look  at  the  south- 
ern map.  There  may  be  read  the  name  of  Alamance,  where  in 
1771,  the  first  drop  of  American  blood  was  shed  against  arbi- 
trary taxation,  and  at  Mecklenburg,  where  was  sounded  the  first 
note  of  independence.  Before  the  declaration  at  Philadelphia 
there  had  risen  in  the  southern  sky  what  Bancroft  termed  'the 
bright  morning  star  of  American  Independence,'  where  on  the 
28th  of  June,  1776,  the  guns  of  Moultrie  at  the  Palmetto  fort 
in  front  of  Charleston  announced  the  first  victory  of  American 
arms.  At  King's  Mountain  is  the  spot  where  the  rough-and- 
ready  men  of  the  Carolinas  and  the  swift  riders  of  Virginia 
and  Tennessee  had  turned  the*  tide  of  victory  in  our  favor,  and 


TVAS'  DAVIS  A  TRAITORf  285 

tLerG  at  Yorktown  is  the  true  birthspot  of  the  free  nation. 
Right  here  I  stand  to-night  on  the  soil  of  that  State  which  first 
of  all  America  stood  alone  free  and  independent.  Beyond  the 
confines  of  the  South  lier  sons  had  rendered  yeoman  service ;  and 
would  not  the  step  of  the  Britisli  conqueror  have  l)een  scarce 
less  than  omnipotent  had  not  Morgan's  riflemen  from  the  Val- 
ley of  Virginia,  and  the  peerless  commander  of  Mount  Vernon, 
appeared  on  the  plains  of  Boston?  You  may  folloAV  the  tracks 
of  the  Continentals  at  Long  Island,  Saratoga,  Trenton,  Prince- 
ton, Brandy  wine,  Germantown,  Valley  Forge,  Monmouth,  and 
Morristown  by  the  blood  and  the  graves  of  the  Southern  men 
who  died  on  Northern  soil,  far  away  from  their  homes,  answer- 
ing the  question  with  their  lives:  Did  the  South  love  the 
Union? 

"  Did  not  the  South  love  American  institutions?  What  school 
boy  cannnot  tell?  Who  wrote  the  great  declaration?  Who 
threw  down  the  gage,  'Liberty  or  Death?'  Who  was  the  chief 
framer  of  the  constitution?  Who  became  its  great  expounder? 
Who  w'rote  the  bill  of  rights  whicli  is  copied  far  and  wide  by 
free  commonwealths?  Who  presided  over  the  convention  that 
made  the  constitution  and  became  in  field  and  council  its  all- 
in-all  defender?  Jefferson,  Henry,  Madison,  Marshall,  Mason, 
Washington,  speak  from  your  graves  and  give  the  answer. 

"Did  not  the  South  do  its  part  in  acquiring  the  imperial 
domain  of  the  nation?  When  the  revolution  ended  the  thir- 
teen States  that  lay  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard  rested  westward 
in  a  wilderness,  and  the  Mississippi  marked  the  extreme  limits 
of  their  claims,  as  the  Appalachain  range  marked  the  bounds 
of  civilization.  The  northwestern  terrritory,  north  of  the  Ohio 
river,  which  now  embraces  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Michigan, 
and  Wisconsin,  was  conquered  by  George  Rogers  Clarke,  a 
soldier  of  Virginia,  tinder  commission  from  Patrick  Henry,  as 
governor.  But  for  this  conquest  the  Ohio  would  have  been  our 
northern  boundary,  and  by  Virginia's  gift  and  Southern  votes 
this  mighty  land  was  made  the  dowery  of  the  Union. 

*'  Kentucky,  the  first-born  State  that  sprung  from  the  Union, 
was  a  Southern  gift  to  the  new  confederation.  The  great  terri- 
tory stretching  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain's gate  and  to  far  off  Oregon,  was  acquired  by  Jefferson  as 
President  from  Napoleon,  then  first  consul  of  France,  and  the 
greatest  area  ever  won  by  diplomacy  in  history,  added  to  the 
Union.  John  C.  Calhonn,  of  South  Carolina,  offered  the  bill 
in  1812  W'hich  proclaimed  the  second  war  of  independence. 
President  Madison,  of  Virginia,  led  the  country  through  it,  and 
at  New  Orleans,  Andrew  Jackson,  of  Tennessee,  achieved  its 
culminating  victory. 


286  fHE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

"It  is  a  Northern  Bcliolar,  Theodore  Roosevelt,  who  says: 
'  Throughout  all  the  fighting  iu  the  northwest,  where  Ohio  was 
the  State  most  threatened,  the  troops  of  Kentucky  formed  the 
bulk  of  the  Amcricau  army,  and  it  was  a  charge  of  their 
mounted  riflemen  which  at  a  blow  won  the  battle  of  the  Thames. 

"  'Again  on  the  famous  January  morning,  when  it  seemed  as 
if  the  fair  Creole  city  was  already  in  Packenham's  grasp,  it  Avas 
the  wild  soldiery  of  Tennessee,  who  laying  behind  their  mud 
breastworks,  peered  out  through  the  lifting  fog  at  the  scarlet 
array  of  the  English  veterans,  as  the  latter,  fresh  from  their 
Victories  over  the  best  troops  of  Europe,  advanced  for  the  first 
time  to  meet  defeat.' 

*'  In  1836  Samuel  Houston,  sprung  from  the  soil  of  that  very 
county  which  now  holds  the  ashes  of  Lee  and  Jackson,  won  the 
battle  of  San  Jacinto,  and  achieved  Texan  independence.  In 
1845,  under  James  K.  Polk,  of  Tennessee,  a  Southern  President, 
it  was  admitted  into  the  Union,  and  a  little  later  the  American 
armies,  led  by  two  Southern  generals,  Zachary  Taylor  and  Win- 
field  Scott,  and  composed  more  than  half  of  Southern  soldiers, 
made  good  the  cause  of  the  Lone  Star  State,  enlarged  its  boun- 
daries, and  acquired  Ncay  Mexico  and  California.  Thus  was 
stretched  the  canopy  of  the  wide  heavens  that  noAV  spread  over 
the  American  republic ;  and  counting  the  constellation  of 
forty-two  stars  that  glitter  in  it,  forget  not,  ye  who  have  senti- 
ment of  justice,  that  over  thirty  of  them  Avere  sown  there  by 
measures  and  by  deeds  in  which  Southern  States  and  Southern 
soldiers  took  a  leading  part,  and  in  which  the  patriotism  and 
loA^e  of  Union  of  the  South  iieA^er  faltered. 

"  If  the  people  with  such  a  history  could  haA-e  adopted  seces- 
sion mighty  indeed  must haA^e  been  theproj^ulsion  to  it.  I  shall 
not  discuss  its  policy,  for  it  would  be  as  A'ain  a  thing  to  do 
as  to  discuss  that  of  the  Revolution  of  1776.  Each  revolution 
concluded  the  question  that  induced  it.  Slavery  was  the  cause 
of  our  civil  war,  and  with  the  war  its  cause  perished.  But  it 
should  be  the  desire  of  all  to  understand  each  other  and  to 
think  well  of  each  other,  and  the  mind  capable  of  just  and 
intelligent  reflection  should  not  fail  in  judging  the  past  to 
remember  the  conditions  and  AdcAvs  that  controlled  the  south- 
ern people  and  their  leader. 

"  Remember  that  their  forefathers  with  scarce  less  attach- 
ment to  the  British  government,  and  with  less  conflict  of 
interest,  had  set  the  precedent,  seceding  themselves  from  the 
British  empire,  tearing  doAvn  ancient  institutions,  rcA^olutioniz- 
ing  the  ver}^  structure  of  society,  and  giving  proud  ansAA'er  to 
all  accusers  in  the  new  evangel   of  the  west  that  the  people 


WAS  DA  VIS  A  TRAITOR  f  28t 

have  a  right  to  alter  or  aholif^Ii  govprnment  whenever  it  becomes 
destructive  to  their  happiness  or  safety. 

"  I  have  found  nowhere  evidence  that  Jefferson  Davis  urged 
secession,  though  he  believed  in  the  right,  approved  the  act  of 
Mississippi  after  it  had  been  taken,  felt  himself  bound  by  his 
State  allegiance  whether  he  approved  or  no,  and  then,  like  all 
his  Southern  countrymen,  did  his  best  to  make  it  good.  Re- 
member that  the  Federal  constitution  was  silent  as  to  seces- 
sion, that  the  question  was  one  of  inference  only,  and  that 
implications  radiated  from  its  various  provisions  in  all  direc- 
tions. 

"  If  one  argued  that  the  very  institute  of  government  implied 
perpetuity,  as  Lincoln  did  in  his  first  inaugural  address, 
another  answered  that  reservation  to  the  States  of  powers  not 
delegated  rebutted  the  implication;  another  that  the  govern- 
ment and  the  constitution  had  como  into  being  in  that  free 
atmosphere  which  breathed  the  declaration  that  they  must  rest 
upon  the  consent  of  the  governed;  and  yet  another  answered 
in  Lincoln's  own  language  that  any  people  anywhere  had  the 
right  to  fhake  off  a  government,  and  that  this  was  the  right 
that '  would  liberate  the  world.' 

"  Rememuer  that  this  right  of  secession  had  never  been 
denied  until  recent  years,  that  it  had  been  preached  upon  the 
hustings,  enunciated  in  political  platforms,  proclaimed  in  the 
Senate  and  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  embodied  in  our  lit- 
erature, taught  in  schools  and  colleges,  interwoven  wdth  the 
texts  of  jurisprudence,  and  maintained  by  scholars,  statesmen 
and  constituencies  of  all  States  and  sections  of  the  country. 

"  Remember,  furthermore,  that  secession  was  an  open  ques- 
tion in  18G1.  No  statute  had  ever  declared,  no  executive  had  ever 
proclaimed,  no  court  had  held  it  to  be  unconstitutional.  The 
States  had  declared  themselves  to  be  free  and  independent. 
American  sovereignty  w^as  hydra-headed,  and  each  State  had  its 
OAvn  statute,  defining  and  punishing  treason  against  itself.  No 
man  could  have  an  independent  citizenship  of  the  United 
States,  but  could  only  acquire  citizenship  of  the  federation  by 
virtue  of  citizenship  of  one  of  the  States.  The  eminent  domain 
of  the  soil  remained  in  the  State ;  and  to  it  escheated  the  proiir 
erty  of  the  interstate  and  heirless  dead.  Was  not  this  the  sov- 
ereign that  'had  the  right  to  command  in  the  last  resort'? 

*' Tucker  had  so  taught  in  his  commentaries  on  Blackstone, 
writing  from  old  Williamsburg;  so  Francis Rawde,  the  eminent 
lawyer  whom  Washington  had  asked  to  be  Attorney-General, 
writing  on  the  constitution  in  Philadelphia ;  and  so  DeTocque- 
ville,  the  most  acute  and  profound  of  foreign  writers  on  Amer* 
lean  institutions.  , 


288  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

"  Wliere  could  an  arbiter  be  found?  Tbere  was  no  method  of 
invoking  the  Supreme  Court;  it  had  no  jurisdiction  to  coerce  a 
State  or  summon  it  to  its  bar.  Kor  could  its  decree  be  final. 
For  it  is  a  maxim  of  our  jurisprudence  uttered  by  Jefferson, 
and  reiterated  by  Lincoln  in  his  first  inaugural  address,  that 
its  decisions  may  be  reconsidered  and  reversed  and  bind  only 
the  clients. 

"  Recall  the  history  of  the  doctrine,  forget  not  that  the  first 
mutterings  of  secession  had  come  from  the  North  as  early  as 
1793,  in  opposition  to  the  threatened  war  with  England,  when 
the  sentiments  uttered  by  Theodore  Dwight  in  his  letter  to 
Wolcott  were  widespread :  '  Sooner  would  ninety-nine  out  of  a 
hundred  of  our  inhabitants  separate  from  the  Union  than 
plunge  themselves  into  an  abyss  of  misery.' 

"Nullification  broke  out  in  the  South  in  1798  led  by  Jeffer- 
son, and  again  in  1830  led  by  Calhoun,  but  in  turn  secession  or 
nullification  was  preached  in  and  out  of  congress,  in  State  legis- 
latures, in  mass  meetings  and  conventions  in  1803, 1812,  and  in 
1844  to  1850,  and  in  each  case  in  opposition  made  by  the  North 
to  wars  or  measures  conducted  to  win  the  empire  and  solidify 
the  structure  of  the  Union. 

"  While  Jefferson  was  annexing  Louisiana,  Massachusetts 
legislators  were  declaring  against  it  as  '  forming  a  new  confede- 
racy to  which  the  States  united  by  the  former  compact  were 
not  bound  to  adhere.' 

"  While  new  States  were  being  admitted  into  the  Union  out 
of  its  territory  a.nd  the  war  of  1812  was  being  conducted  Josiah 
Quincy  was  maintaining  the  right  of  secession  in  Congress  ;  the 
eastern  States  were  threatening  to  exercise  that  right,  and  the 
Ha,rtford  convention  was  promulgating  the  doctrine. 

"  When  Texas  Avas  annexed  and  Jefferson  Davis  was  in  Con- 
gress advocating  it  Massachusetts  was  declaring  it  unconstitu- 
tional and  that  any  such  '  act  or  admission  would  have  no  bind- 
ing  obligation  on  its  people.' 

"While  the  Mexican  war  was  being  fought  and  the  soldier- 
statesman  of  Mississippi  was  carrying  the  stars  and  stripes  in 
glory  over  the  heights  of  Monterey,  and  bleeding  under  them 
in  the  battle  shock  of  Buena  Vista,  Abraham  Lincoln  was 
denouncing  the  war  as  unconstitutional  and  Northern  multi- 
tudes were  yet  applauding  the  eloquence  of  the  Ohio  orator 
who  had  said  in  Congress  that  the  Mexicans  should  welcome 
our  soldiers  'with  bloody  hands  to  hospitable  graves.' 

"  Consider  these  grave  words,  which  are  but  freshly  written 
in  the  life  of  Webster  by  Henry  Cabot  Lodge,  who  is  at  this 
time  a  Republican  representative  in  Congress  from  the  city  of 
Boston.  Mass. 


I 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TRAITOR?  289 

"When  the  constitution  was  adopted  by  the  votes  of  States 
at  Philadelphia  and  accepted  by  votes  of  States  in  popular  con- 
ventions it  was  safe  to  say  there  was  not  a  man  in  the  country, 
from  Washington  and  Hamilton  on  the  one  side  to  George  Clin- 
ton and  George  Masg^n  on  the  other,  who  regarded  the  now  sys- 
tem as  anything  but  an  experiment  entered  upon  by  the  States, 
and  from  which  each  and  every  State  had  the  right  to  peaceably  with- 
draiv — (I  ricjht  ivJiich  luas  very  likely  to  he  exercised.'' 

"  Recall  the  contemporary  opinions  of  Northern  publicists  and 
leading  journals.  The  New  York  Herald  considered  coercion 
out  of  the  question.  On  the  9th  of  November,  1860,  the  New 
York  Tribune,  Horace  Greeley  being  the  editor,  said : 

" '  H  the  cotton  States  shall  decide  that  they  can  do  better 
out  of  the  Union  than  in  it  we  insist  on  letting  them  go  in 
peace.  The  right  to  secede  may  be  a  revolutionary  one,  but  it 
exists  nevertheless,  and  we  do  not  see  how  one  party  can  have 
a  right  to  do  what  another  party  has  a  right  to  prevent.  We 
must  ever  resist  the  asserted  right  of  any  State  to  remain  in 
the  Union  and  nullify  or  defy  the  laws  thereof;  to  withdraw 
from  the  Union  is  quite  another  matter.' 

"This  was  precisely  the  creed  of  Jefferson  Davis. 

"Again,  on  the  17tli  of  December,  after  the  secession  of  the 
South  Carolina,  that  journal  said: 

'"If  the  Declaration  of  Independence  justified  the  seceosion 
from  the  British  empire  of  three  millions  of  colonists  in  1776 
■we  do  not  see  why  it  would  not  justify  the  secession  of  five 
millions  of  Southerners  from  the  Federal  Union  in  1861.  If 
wo  are  mistaken  on  this  point  why  does  not  some  one  attempt 
to  show  wherein  and  why?' 

"  And  yet  again  on  the  23d  of  February,  after  Mr.  Davis  had 
"been  inaugurated  as  President  at  Montgomery,  it  said : 

"' We  have  repeatedly  said,  and  we  ducc  more  insist,  that 
the  great  principal  embodied  by  Jefferson  in  the  Declaration 
of  American  Independence  that  governments  derive  their  just 
powers  from  the  consent  of  the  governed  is  sound  and  just,  and 
that  if  the  slave  States,  the  cotton  States,  or  the  Gulf  States 
only  choose  to  form  an  independent  nation  they  have  clear 
moral  right  to  do  so.' 

"The  controlling  truth  was  that  two  incompatible  and  hos- 
tile civilizations  were  in  ceaseless  conflict,  and  the  balance  of 
poAver  between  them,  like  the  balance  of  power  in  Europe,  domi- 
nated the  politics  of  the  country.  There  was  equilibrium 
betwen  these  rival  powers  and  sections  when  their  race  began 
and  each  in  turn  threatened  secession  as  the  equilibrium  trem- 
bled to  the  one  side  or  the  other. 
19 


290  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

"  This  was  the  cause  of  uortliern  hostility  to  the  Louisiana, 
the  Texas,  and  Mexican  annexations,  and  this  the  cause  of 
southern  contention  for  territorial  rights  in  Kansas  and  Ne- 
braska. 

"  Having  given  the  North  generous  advantage  in  the  north- 
western territory  in  1787,  and  foreseeing  the  doom  of  her  insti- 
tutions and  the  upheaval  of  her  society,  with  the  balance  of 
power  lost  to  her,  and  unable  to  maintain  herself  in  the  Union 
on  an  issue  which  involved  not  only  two  thousand  millions  of 
property,  but  far  more  than  that,  the  peace  of  society,  and  the 
integrity,  purity,  and  liberty  of  the  white  race,  the  South 
adopted  in  1861  the  measure  which  the  northern  States  had 
often  threatened  but  never  attempted  against  the  Union,  the 
measure  which  all  Americans  had  not  only  attempted,  but  had 
consecrated  as  just  in  principle  and  vindicated  by  deed  in  1776. 

"  The  historian  will  note  that  while  the  United  States  de- 
clared war  on  the  ground  that  secession  was  treason,  they  prac- 
tically treated  it  as  a  political  question  of  territorial  integrity. 
They  accorded  belligerent  rights  to  the  Confederacy,  exchanged 
prisoners,  and  gave  paroles  of  war,  and  revolutionized  all  theo- 
ries and  constitutional  mandates  to  carry  their  main  point — 
the  preservation  of  the  Union.  General  Grant  says  of  their 
legislation  in  his  memoirs  :  '  Much  of  it  was  no  doubt  uncon- 
stitutional, but  it  was  hoped  that  the  laws  enacted  would  sub- 
serve their  purpose  before  their  constitutionality  could  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  judiciary  and  a  decision  obtained.*  Of  the  war 
he  says  :  '  The  constitution  was  not  framed  with  a  view  to  any 
such  rebellion  as  that  of  1861-'65.  While  it  did  not  authorize 
rebellion  it  made  no  provision  against  it.  Yet,'  he  adds,  '  the 
right  to  resist  or  suppress  rebellion  is  as  inherent  as  the 
right  of  an  individual  to  preserve  his  life  when  it  is  in  jeopardy. 
The  constitution  was,  therefore,  in  abeyance  for  the  time  being, 
so  far  as  it  in  any  way  affected  the  progress  and  termination 
of  the  war.' 

"This  is  revolution. 

"  Indicted  for  treason  Jefferson  Davis  faced  his  accusers  with 
the  uplifted  brow  and  dauntless  heart  of  innocence,  and  eagerly 
asked  a  trial.  If  magnanimity  had  let  him  pass,  it  would  have 
been  appreciated,  but  they  who  punished  him  without  a  hearing 
before  they  set  him  free,  now  proceeded  to  amend  the  constitv- 
tion  to  disfranchise  him  and  his  associates,  finding,  like  Gran,, 
nothing  in  it,  as  it  stood  against  such  movement  as  he  led. 

"  It  may  be  that  but  for  the  assassination  of  President  Lin- 
coln— mosft  infamous  and  unhappy  deed — which 

"'Uproared  tbe  universal  peace 
,And  poured  tba  milk  of  concord  into  bell,' 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TRAITORf  .     291 

tlie  country  would  have  been  spared  the  Bhame  of  Prepident 
Davis's  cruel  incarceration,  and  the  maiming  of  the  constitution. 

*'  For  I  can  scarcely  believe  that  he  who  three  times  overruled 
emancipation;  who  appealed  to  'indispensable  necessity'  as 
justification  for  '  laying  strong  hands  on  the  colored  element;' 
who  candidly  avowed  Northern  '  complicity  '  in  the  wrongs  of 
his  time  ;  who  said, '  I  claim  not  to  have  controlled  events,  but 
confess  plainly  that  events  have  controlled  me  ' ;  who  had 
preached  revolution  in  1848,  and  revolutionized  all  things  to 
save  the  Union  in  1862 — I  can  scarce  believe  it  possible  that 
one  of  his  broad  mind  and  generous  heart  would  have  perse- 
cuted an  honorable  foe.  It  has  been  a  wonder  to  me  that  those 
who  justly  applaud  his  virtues  have  not  copied  his  example  ; 
wonder,  indeed,  that  all  men  have  not  seen  that  the  events 
which  controlled  him  controlled  also  his  antagonist. 

"The  United  States  have  been  unified  by  natural  laws,  kin- 
dred to  those  which  unified  the  South  in  secession,  but  greater 
because  wider  spread.  Its  ph3^sical  constitution  in  1861  ans- 
Avered  to  the  Northern  mind  the  written  constitution,  and  the 
traditions  of  our  origin  to  which  the  South  appealed.  The 
Mississippi  river,  the  natural  outlet  of  a  new-born  empire  to 
the  sea,  was  a  greater  interpreter  to  it  than  the  opinions  of 
statesmen  who  lived  when  the  great  new  commonwealths  wore 
yet  in  the  wilderness,  and  before  the  great  rei^ublic  t^p^mned 
the  father  of  waters. 

"  The  river  seeking  its  bed  as  it  rolls  oceanward  pauses  not 
to  consider  Avhose  are  the  boundaries  of  the  estates  through 
which  it  flows.  If  a  mountain  barrier  stands  in  way  it  forms 
a  lake  until  the  accumulated  waters  break  through  the  impeding 
wall  or  dash  over  it  in  impetuous  torrents.  So  nations  in 
their  great  movements  seem  to  be  swept  out  of  the  grooves 
defined  by  the  laws  of  man,  and  are  oftentimes  jDropelled  to 
destinies  greater  than  those  conjured  in  their  dreams. 

"  The  rivalry,  not  the  harmony  of  sections,  won  the  empire 
of  the  Union ;  its  physical  constitution  proved  more  powerful 
than  its  written  one;  in  the  absence  of  a  judge  all  appealed  to 
the  jury  of  the  sword.  We  belong  to  a  high-handed  race  and 
understand  the  laAV  of  the  sword,  for  the  men  of  independence 
in  1776  and  1861  were  of  the  same  blood  as  those  who  in  each 
case  cried, 'Disperse,  ye  rebels.'  And  were  I  of  the  North  I 
would  prefer  to  avow  that  it  made  conquest  by  the  high  hand 
than  coin  the  great  strife  that  marshalled  over  three  millions 
of  soldiers  into  police-court  technicalities  and  belittle  a  revo- 
lution continent-wide  into  the  quelling  of  an  insurrection,  and 
the  vicarious  punishment  of  its  leader.  The  greatest  conqueror 
proclaims  his  naked  deed. 


292  THE  DAVIS  MEMOBIAL  VOLUME. 

"  As  we  are  not  oi  tbe  North,  but  of  the  South,  and  are  now 
like  all  Americans,  both  of  and  for  the  Union,  bound  up  in  its 
destinies,  contributing  to  its  support  and  seeking  its  welfare, 
I  feel  that  as  he  was  the  hero  in  war  who  fought  the  bravest,  so 
he  is  the  hero  now  who  puts  the  past  in  its  truest  light,  does 
justice  to  all,  and  knows  no  foe  but  him  who  revives  the  hates 
of  a  bygone  generation. 

"  If  we  lost  by  war  a  Southern  union  of  thirteen  States,  we 
have  yet  a  common  part  in  a  continental  union  of  forty-two, 
to  which  our  fathers  gave  their  blood,  and  upon  which  they 
shed  their  blessings,  and  a  people  who  could  survive  four  years 
of  such  experience  as  we  had  in  1861-65,  can  work  out  their 
own  salvation  on  any  spot  of  earth  that  God  intended  for  man's 
habitation.  We  are  in  fact  in  our  father's  home,  and  it  should 
be,  as  it  is,  our  highest  aim  to  develop  its  magnificent  possibil- 
ities and  make  it  the  happiest  dwelling  place  of  the  children  of 
men. 

"  The  Southern  leader  was  no  secessionist  per  sc.  His  ante- 
cedents, his  history,  his  services,  his  own  earnest  words  often 
uttered,  attest  his  love  of  the  Union  and  his  hope  that  it 
might  endure.  In  1853,  in  a  letter  to  Hon,  William  J.  Brown, 
of  Indiana,  he  repudiated  the  imputation  that  he  was  a  dis- 
uniouist. 

"' Pardon,  he  said,  'pardon  the  egotism  in  consideration  of 
the  occasion  when  I  say  to  you  that  my  father  and  uncles 
fought  in  the  Revolution  of  1776,  giving  their  j'outh,  their 
blood,  and  their  little  patrimony  to  the  constitutional  freedom 
which  I  claim  as  my  inheritance.  Three  of  my  brothers  fought 
in  the  w^ar  of  1812,  two  of  them  were  comrades  of  the  Hero  of 
the  Hermitage,  and  received  his  commendation  for  gallantry 
at  New  Orleans.  At  sixteen  years  of  age  I  was  given  to  the  ser- 
vice of  my  country.  For  twelve  years  of  my  life  I  have  borne 
its  arms  and  served  it  zealously  if  not  well.  As  I  feel  the  in- 
firmities which  suffering  more  than  age  has  brought  upon  me,  | 
it  would  be  a  bitter  reflection  indeed  if  I  was  forced  to  conclude  ?, 
that  my  countrymen  would  hold  all  this  light  when  weighed 
against  the  empty  panegyric  which  a  time-serving  politician  can 
bestow  upon  the  Union,  for  which  he  never  made  a  sacrifice. 

"  'In  the  Senate  I  announced  if  any  respectable  man  would 
call  me  a  disunionist  I  would  answer  him  in  monosyllables. 
But  I  have  often  asserted  the  right  for  which  the  battles  of  the 
Revolution  were  fought,  the  right  of  a  people  to  change  their  gov- 
ernment whenever  it  was  found  to  be  oppressive  and  subversive 
of  the  objects  for  which  governments  are  instituted,  and  have 
contended  for  the  independence  and  sovereignty  of  the  States ; 


WAS  DAVIS  A   TRAITORt  293 

a  part  of  the  creed  of  which  Jefferson  T.'do  the  apostle,  Madi- 
8cn  the  expounder,  and  Jackson  the  consistent  defender,' 

"Four  years  later,  when  Senator  Fessenden,  of  Maine,  said, 
turning  to  liim,  'I  have  avowed  no  disunion  sentiments  on  this 
floor,  can  the  honorable  gentleman  from  Mississippi  say  as 
much?'  Mr,  Davis  answered:  'Yes,  I  have  long  sought  for 
a  respectable  man  to  allege  the  contrary.'  And  the  imputati  n 
ended  with  the  unanswered  chalLnge  to  produ:e  the  evidence. 
Even  when  secession  seemed  a  foregone  conclusion,  Mr.  Davis 
strove  to  avert  it,  being  ready  at  any  time  to  adopt  the  Critten- 
den measures  of  compromise  if  they  T^ere  accepted  by  the  oppo- 
sition, and  when  the  Representatives  and  Senators  from  Mis- 
sissippi were  called  in  conference  with  the  governor  of  that 
State  in  December,  1860,  he  still  advised  lorbearance  '  as  long 
as  any  hope  of  a  peaceful  r:medy  remainad,'  declaring  that  he 
felt  certain  from  his  knowledge  of  the  people  Ncrth  and  South 
that  '  if  once  there  was  a  clash  of  arm::  the  contest  would  be 
one  of  the  most  sanguinary  the  world  had  ever  witn:'?sed.' 
But  a  single  member  of  the  conference  agreed  with  him;  scve- 
eral  of  its  members  were  so  dissatisfied  v/ith  his  position  thc:t 
they  believed  him  entirely  opposed  to  secession  and  as  :je?kiug 
delay  with  the  hope  that  it  might  be  averted;  and  the  majority 
overruling  his  counsels,  he  then  announced  that  he  would 
stand  by  any  action  w^hich  might  be  taken  by  the  conventicii 
representing  the  sovereignty  of  the  State  of  Missiseippi.  Thus 
he  stood  on  the  brink  of  war,  copservative,  collected,  apprecia- 
ting the  solemn  magnitude  of  the  crisis,  and,  although  th:  pen- 
cil of  hostile  passion  has  otherwise  portrayed  him,  I  do  not 
believe  there  was  a  man  living  :n  1861  who  3culdhave  uttered 
more  sincer<.ly  than  he  the  worc':^  of  Addison,  'Is  th.:re  not 
some  chosen  curse,  some  hidden  thunder  in  the  stars  of  Heaven, 
red  with  uncommon  wrath  to  blast  the  man  who  owes  his  great- 
ness to  his  country's  ruin  ?' 

"  Pleading  btill  for  conciliatioUp  on  January  10,  1861,  it  was 
the  heart  of  a  patriot  and  not  that  of  the  ambitious  aspir^znt 
from  which  flowed  these  words  : 

" '  What,  Senators,  to-day  is  the  condition  of  tha  country? 
From  every  corner  of  it  comes  the  wailing  cry  of  patriotism 
pleading  for  the  preservation  of  the  great  inheritance  've  -do= 
rived  from  our  fathers.  Is  there  a  Senator  who  does  not  daily 
receive  letters  appealing  to  him  to  use  even  the  small  power 
which  one  man  here  possesses  to  save  the  rich  inheritance  our 
fathers  gave  us?  Tears  are  trickling  down  the  faces  of  men 
who  have  bled  for  t^e  flag  of  their  country  and  are  w:dli~g  n~w 
to  die  for  it;  but  patriotism  stands  powerkss  before  tho  p!legi 


294  THE  DA  VIS  3IE3rOBlAL  VOL  VME. 

that  the  party  about  to  come  to  power  adopted  a  platform,  and 
that  come  what  will,  though  ruin  stare  us  in  the  face,  consis- 
tency must  be  adhered  to,  even  though  the  government  be 
lost.' 

"  Even  as  he  spoke,  though  perhaj)S  as  3^et  unknown  to  him, 
Mississippi  the  day  before  had  passed  the  ordinance  of  seces- 
sion. 

"  On  the  20th  of  January  he  rose  in  the  Senate  to  announce 
that  fact,  and  that 'of  course  his  functions  there  were  termi- 
nated.' 

"  In  language  characterized  by  dignity  and  moderation,  in 
terms  as  decorous  and  in  sentiments  as  noble  as  became  a  sol- 
emn crisis  and  a  high  presence,  he  bade  farewell  to  the  Senate. 

"  '  In  the  course  of  my  service  here,'  he  said,  '  associated  at 
different  times  with  a  great  variety  of  Senators,  I  see  now  around 
me  some  with  whom  I  have  served  long.  There  may  have  been 
points  of  collision,  but  whatever  of  offence  there  has  been  to 
me  I  leave  here.  I  carry  with  me  no  hostile  remembrance. 
Whatever  offence  I  have  given  which  has  not  been  redressed,  or 
for  which  satisfaction  has  not  been  demanded,  I  have,  Senators, 
in  this  hour  of  our  parting  to  offer  yoii  my  apology  for  any 
pain  which  in  the  heat  of  discussion  I  have  inflicted.  I  go 
hence  unincumbered  of  the  remembrance  of  any  injury  received, 
and  I  have  discharged  the  duty  of  making  the  only  reparation 
in  my  power  for  any  injury  offered.' 

"  In  clear  statement  he  summarized  his  political  principles  : 

"  'It  is  known  to  you.  Senators,  who  have  served  with  me 
here,  that  I  have  for  many  years  advocated  as  an  essential 
attribute  of  State  sovereignty  the  right  of  a  State  to  secede 
from  the  Union;'  but  he  hoped  none  v/ould  'confound  this 
expression  with  the  advocacy  of  the  right  of  a  State  to  remain  in 
the  Union  and  to  disregard  the  constitutional  obligation  by  the 
nullificatiou  of  the  law.  Such  is  not  my  theory.*  *  Secession 
belongs  to  a  different  class  of  remedies.  It  is  to  be  justified 
upon  the  basis  of  State  sovereignty.  There  was  a  time  when 
none  denied  it.' 

"  He  pointed  out  that  the  position  he  then  assumed  was  the 
same  that  he  had  occupied  when  Massachusetts  had  been 
arraigned  at  the  bar  of  the  Senate,,  and  when  the  doctrine  of 
coercion  was  ripe  and  to  be  applied  against  her  because  of  the 
rescue  of  a  fugitive  slave  in  Boston.  '  My  opinion  then  was 
the  same  as  it  is  now.  I  then  said  that  if  Massachusetts  chose 
to  take  the  last  step  which  separates  her  from  the  Union,  it  is 
her  right  to  go,  and  I  will  neither  vote  one  dollar  nor  one  man 
to  force  her  back ;  but  will  say  to  her  God  speed,  in  memory  oi 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TBAITORf  295 

the  kind  associations  wliich  once  existed  between  her  and  the 
other  States.' 

"  In  conchiding,  he  said :  '  I  find  in  myself  perhaps  a  type  of 
the  goMieral  feeling  of  my  constituents  towards  yours.  I  am 
sure  I  feel  no  hostility  toward  you,  Senators  from  the  Korth. 
I  am  sure  there  is  not  one  of  you,  w^hatever  sharp  discussions 
there  may  have  been  between  us,  to  whom  I  canrjot  now  say  in 
the  presence  of  my  God,  I  wish  yo\i  well,  and  such  I  am  sure  is 
the  feeling  of  the  people  whom  I  represent  towards  those  whom 
you  represent. 

"  'I,  therefore,  feel  that  I  but  express  their  desire  when  I  say 
I  hope,  and  they  hope,  for  peaceable  relations  with  you,  though 
we  must  part. 

"  'They  may  be  mutually  beneficial  to  us  in  the  future,  as 
they  have  been  in  the  past,  if  you  so  will  it. 

"  'The  reverse  may  bring  disaster  on  every  portion  of  our 
country,  and  if  you  will  have'it  thus,  we  will  invoke  the  God 
of  our  fathers  who  delivered  them  from  the  power  of  the  Lion  to 
protect  us  from  the  ravages  of  the  Bear,  and  thus,  putting  our 
trust  in  God  and  in  our  firm  hearts  and  strong  arms,  we  will 
vindicata  the  right  as  best  we  may.' 

"Well  was  that  pledge  redeemed.  South  Carolina,  Florida, 
Mississippi,  Alabama,  Georgia,  Louisiana,  Texas,  Virginia,  and 
North  Carolina,  Arkansas  and  Tennessee,  all  seceded,  while 
Kentucky,  Missouri,  and  Maryland  were  divided  in  sentiment. 
Jefferson  Davis  became  by  unanimous  selection,  President  of 
the  Confederate  States  of  America,  the  capital  first  planted  at 
Montgomery  was  removed  here  to  Richmond,  and  for  four  years 
the  new  republic  waged  for  its  life  the  mightiest  warfare  of 
modern  times.  'There  was  something  melancholy  and  grand,' 
says  a  Northern  historian,  '  in  the  motives  that  caused  Virginia 
at  last  to  make  common  cause '  with  the  South.  Having  made 
it  she  has  borne  her  part  with  a  sublimity  of  heroism  such  as 
was  never  surpassed,  and  has  uttered  no  cry  in  the  majesty  of 
her  sorrows. 

"No  State  had  done  more  for  peace  than  Virginia,  as  none 
had  done  more  originally  for  Union  ;  no  State  more  reluctantly 
or  more  unselfishly  drew  the  sword ;  no  State  wielded  a  brighter 
or  sterner  blade  after  it  was  drawn ;  no  State  suffered  so  much 
by  it ;  no  State  used  triumph  with  more  generosity  or  faced 
defeat  with  greater  dignity;  no  State  has  abided  the  fate  of 
war  with  greater  magnanimity  or  greater  wisdom  ;  and  no  State 
turns  her  face  with  fairer  hope  or  steadier  courage  to  the  future. 
It  seemed  the  very  sarcasm  of  destiny  that  the  Mother  of  States 
should  have  been  the  only  one  of  all  the  American  Common- 


296  THE  DAVIS  ME3fORIAL   VOLUME. 

weaUbs  that  wag  cut  in  twain  by  the  sword.  But  it  is  the 
greatness  of  spirit,  not  tlie  size  of  the  body,  that  malves  the 
character  and  glory  of  the  State,  as  of  the  man  ;  and  old  Vir- 
ginia was  never  worthier  the  love  of  her  sons  and  the  respect 
of  all  mankind  than  to-day  as  she  uncovers  her  head  by  the 
bier  of  the  dead  chieftain  whose  fortunes  she  followed  in  storm 
and  trial,  and  to  whose  good  fame  she  will  be  true,  come  weal, 
come  woe. 

"  I  shall  make  no  post-mortem  examination  of  the  Confed- 
eracy in  search  of  causes  for  its  fall.  When  an  officer  during 
the  war  was  figuring  on  prospects  of  success  General  Lee  said 
to  him  :  '  Pat  up  your  pencil,  colonel ;  if  we  follow  the  calcu- 
lations of  figures  we  are  whipped  already.' 

*'  Twenty  millions  of  people  on  the  one  side,  nine  millions 
(and  half  of  them  slaves)  on  the  other;  a  great  navy,  arsenals, 
armories,  factories,  railroads,  boundless  wealth  and  science,  and 
an  open  world  to  draw  upon  for  resources  and  reinforcements 
upon  the  one  side,  and  little  more  than  a  thin  line  of  poorly- 
armed  and  half-fed  soldiery  upon  the  other,  pitted  one  man 
against  two — a  glance  of  the  eye  tells  the  story  of  the  unequal 
contest.  As  piy  noble  commander.  General  Early,  said:  'I 
will  not  speculate  on  the  causes  of  failure,  as  I  have  seen  abun- 
dant causes  for  it  in  the  tremendous  odds  brought  against  us.' 

"That  President  Davis  made  mistakes  I  do  not  doubt;  but 
the  percentage  of  mistakes  was  so  small  in  the  sum  of  his  ad- 
ministration and  its  achievements  so  transcended  all  propor- 
tions of  means  and  opportunities  that  mankind  will  never 
cease  to  wonder  at  their  magnitude  and  their  splendor. 

"  Finances  went  wrong,  some  say.  Finances  always  go  wrong 
in  failures ;  but  not  worse  in  this  case  than  in  the  Revolution 
of  1776,  when  Washington  was  at  the  head.  So  far  did  they 
go  wrong  then  that  not  even  success  could  rescue  the  worthless 
paper  money  of  our  fathers  from  repudiation  and  oblivion,  and 
even  to  this  day  the  very  worst  fling  that  can  be  made  at  the 
Confederate  note  reaches  a  climax  in  the  expression, '  It  is  not 
worth  a  continental.' 

"Blame  Jefferson  Davis  for  this  or  that;  discount  all  that 
critics  say,  and  then  behold  the  mighty  feat  which  created  and 
for  four  years  maintained  a  nation  ;  behold  how  armies  without 
a  nucleus  were  marshalled  and  armed — how  a  navy,  small  in- 
deed, but  one  that  revolutionized  the  naval  warfare  of  all 
nations  and  became  the  terror  of  the  seas,  was  fashioned  out 
of  old  hulks  or  picked  up  in  foreign  places;  see  how  a  v/orld 
in  arms  was  held  at  bay  by  a  people  and  a  soldiery  whom  he 
held  together  with- an  iron  will  and  hurled  like  a  flam.ing 
thunderbolt  at  their  foes. 


WAS  DAVIS  A  TRAITOR?  297 

"In  his  cabinot  he  gathered  the  foremost  civilians  of  the 
Land — Toombs,  Hunter,  Benjamin,  Watts,  Davis,  Memmingcr, 
Trenholm,  AValkcr,  Randolph,  Seddon,  Breckinridge,  Mallory, 
Reagan.     Good  men  and  true. 

"  To  the  leadership  of  his  soldiers  whom  did  he  delegate? 
If  some  Messonier  could  throw  upon  the  canvas  Jefferson  Davis 
in  the  midst  of  those  chiefs  whom  he  created,  what  grander 
knighthood  could  history  assemble?  Robert  E.  Lee,  Albert 
Sidney  Johnston,  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  G.  T.  Beauregard,  Sam- 
uel Cooper  and  Braxton  Bragg  were  generals  of  the  full  rank. 
Stonewall  Jackson,  Forrest,  Polk,  Hardee,  Ewell,  D.  H.  Hill, 
A.  P.  Plill,  Hood,  Richard  Taylor,  Holmes,  R.  H.  Anderson, 
Pemberton,  Early,  Kirby  Smith,  Longstreet,  liampton,  S.  D. 
Lee,  A.  P.  Stewart,  Buckner,  Wheeler  and  Gordon  were  their 
lieutenants.  Major-generals,  brigadiers  and  field  ofhcers — 
cavalry  leaders,  artillerists  and  infantry  commanders — who 
became  world-renowned  throng  ujDon  the  memory ;  the  names 
of  Stuart,  Morgan,  Ashby,  Cleburne  and  their  compeers  spring 
from  the  full  heart  to  the  lip.  Would  that  time  permitted  me 
to  call  that  brilliant  roll  of  the  living  and  the  dead;  but  why 
need  the  voice  pronounce  what  all  Avould  speak  ?. 

"Men  judge  Napoleon  by  his  marshals;  judge  Jefferson 
Davis  and  his  cause  by  his  chosen  chieftains,  and  the  plea  of 
words  seems  weak  indeed  by  the  side  of  men  and  deeds. 

"Troop  behind  them  those  armies  of  Hattered  uniforms  and 
bright  muskets ' ;  but  no,  it  is  beyond  the  reach  of  either  brush 
or  chisel  to  redeem  to  the  imagination  such  men,  such  scenes, 
as  shine  in  their  twenty-two  hundred  combats  and  battles. 
Not  until  some  new-born  Homer  shall  touch  the  harp  can  man- 
kind be  penetrated  by  a  sense  of  their  heroic  deeds,  and  then 
alone  in  the  grand  majestic  minstrelsy  of  epic  song. 

"  And  now  that  war  is  flagrant,  far  and  Avide,  on  land  and 
sea  and  river,  over  the  mountain  and  the  plain  rolls  the  red 
battle-tide,  and  rises  the  lofty  cheer.  The  son  falls,  the  old 
father  steps  in  his  place.  The  father  falls,  the  stripling  of  the 
play-ground  rushes  to  the  front;  the  boy  becomes  a  man, 
Lead  fails;  old  battle-fields  are  raked  over,  children  gather  up 
bullets  as  they  would  pluck  berries,  household  ornaments  a^nd 
utensils  are  ]:)roken,  and  all  are  moulded  into  missiles  of  war. 
Cannon  fail ;  the  very  church  bolls  whose  mellow  chimes  have 
summoned  to  the  altar,  are  melted  and  now  resound  with  the 
Hrim  detonations  of  artillery.  Clothes  fail;  old  garments  are 
turned  over,  rags  and  exercise  are  raiment.  The  battle-horse  is 
killed,  the  ship  goes  down  ;  the  unhorsed  trooper  and  the  un- 
shipped tar  trudge  along  with  the  infantry.     The  border  States 


298  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

are  swept  away  from  the  Confederacy,  the  remaining  ones  gird 
their  loins  the  tighter.  Virginia  is  divided ;  there  is  enough  of 
her  left  for  her  heroic  heart  to  beat  in.  New  Orleans  is  gone  ; 
Vicksburg  falls ;  Gettysburg  is  lost ;  armies  wither ;  exiles  make 
their  homes  in  battle ;  slender  battalions  do  the  duty  of  divis- 
ions. Generals  die  in  the  thick  fight;  captains  become  gene- 
rals ;  a  private  is  a  company.  Luxuries  disappear ;  necessities 
become  luxuries.  Fields  are  wasted,  crops  and  barns  are 
burned,  flocks  and  herds  are  consumed,  and.  naught  is  left  but 
'  man  and  steel — tne  soldier  and  his  sword. ' 

"The  desolate  winter  lays. white  and  bleak  upon  the  land; 
its  chill  winds  are  resisted  by  warm  and  true  affections. 

"  Atlanta,  Mobile,  Charleston,  Savannah  falls — the  Confede- 
racy is  cut  to  pieces.  Its  fragments  become  countries,  with 
frontiers  on  skirmish  lines  and  capitals  on  horseback. 

"  Ports  are  sealed — the  world  and  the  South  are  parted.  All 
the  dearer  seems  the  scant  sky  that  hangs  over  her  bleeding 
children. 

"  On  and  on  and  on  come  the  thickening  masses  of  the 
North — brave  men,  bravely  led  and  ably  commanded;  and 
as  those  of  the  South  grow  thinner,  theirs  grow  stronger.  Hope 
sinks  ;  despair  stiffens  courage. 

"Everything  fails  but  manhood  and  womanhood.  The  woman 
cooks  and  weaves  and  works,  nurses  the  stricken,  and  buries 
her  dead,  and  cheers  her  living.  The  man  stands  to  his  gun 
behind  Johnston,  behind  Lee.  Petersburg  and  Richmond 
starve  and  bleed  and  yet  stand  dauntless.  And  here  amongst 
you — while  the  thunders  shake  the  capitol  and  the  window- 
panes  of  his  home  and  the  earth  trembles — here  stands  Jeffer- 
son Davis,  unshaken,  untrembling,  toiling  to  give  bread  to  his 
armies  and  their  kindred,  toiling  to  hold  up  the  failing  arms  of 
his  veterans,  unbelieving  that  heaven  could  decree  the  fall  of 
such  a  people. 

"  At  last  the  very  fountains  of  nature  fail.  The  exhausted 
South  falls  prone  upon  its  shield. 

"  It  is  gone.  All  gone.  Forever  gone.  The  Confederacy  and 
its  sons  in  gray  have  vanished;  and  now  at  last  hoary  with 
years  the  chieftain  rests,  his  body  mingling  with  the  ashes  of 
the  brave  which  once  quickened  with  a  country's  holy  passion. 

"  Hither  let  that  body  be  borne  by  the  old  soldiers  of  the 
Confederacy.  Here  in  Richmond  by  the  James,  where  was  his 
w^ar  home ;  where  his  child  is  buried;  where  his  armies  were 
marshalled;  where  the  Congress  sat;  where  was  the  capital, 
the  arsenal,  the  citadel,  the  field  of  glory,  and  at  last  the  tomb  of 
the  Confederacy — -here  let  him  be  buried,  and  the  land  of  Wash- 


WAS  DAVIS  A   TRAITOR?  299 

ington  and  Lee  and  Stonewall  Jackson  will  hold  in  sacred  trust 
his  memory  and  his  ashes. 

"  The  restless  tides  of  humanity  will  rush  hither  and  thither 
over  the  land  of  ))attles.     The  ages  will  sweep  on,  and 

•  Rift  tho  liiUs,  roll  the  waters,  flash  the  liglitiiings,  weigh  the  sun.' 

''  The  white  sails  of  commerce  will  thicken  on  your  river  and 
the  smoke  of  increasing  factories  will  blacken  the  skies. 
Mountains  will  pour  forth  their  precious  metals,  and  fields  will 
glow  in  the  garniture  of  richer  harvests.  The  remnants  of 
lives  spared  from  the  battle  will  be  interwoven  with  the  texture 
of  the  Union;  ncAV  stars  will  cluster  upon  the  flag,  and  the 
sons  of  the  South  will  bear  it  as  their  fathers  bore  it  to  make 
the  bounds  of  freedom  wider  yet.  Our  great  race  will  meet 
and  solve  every  problem,  however  dark,  that  it  now  faces, 
and  a  people  reconciled  and  mighty  will  stretch  forth  their 
arms  to  stay  those  of  the  oppressor.  But  no  greater  souls  will 
rise  than  those  who  find  rest  under  the  Southern  sod,  from 
Sumter's  battered  wall  to  the  trailing  vines  and  ivy  leaves  of 
HollyAvood,  and  none  will  come  forth  of  truer  heart  or  clean^^r 
hands  or  higher  crest  to  lead  them. 

''  To  the  dust  we  give  his  body  now ;  the  ■  ages  receive 
his  memory.  They  have  never  failed  to  do  justice,  however 
tardy,  to  him  who  stood  by  his  people  and  made  their  cause 
his  own. 

"The  world  does  not  to-day  think  the  less  of  Warren  because 
he  fell  at  Bunker  Hill,  a  red-handed  colonial  rebel,  fighting  the 
old  flag  of  his  sovereign  even  before  his  people  became  seces- 
sionists from  the  crown,  nor  because  his  yeomen  Avere  beaten 
in  the  battle. 

"  The  great  character  and  work  of  John  Hampden  wear  no 
stigma,  though  he  rode  out  of  the  battle  at  Chal grove  stricken 
to  death  by  a  loyal  bullet  and  soon  filled  a  rebel's  grave. 

"  Oliver  Cromwell  is  a  proud  name  in  English  historv,  though 
the  English  republic  which  he  founded  was  almost  as  short- 
lived as  the  Confederacy  and  was  soon  buried  under  the  re- 
established throne  of  the  Stuarts. 

"  And  we  but  forecast  the  judgment  of  the  years  to  coilie 
Avhen  we  pronounce  that  Jefferson  Davis  was  great  and  pure  as 
statesman,  man,  and  patriot. 

"  In  the  eyes  of  Him  to  whom  a  thousand  years  are  as  a 
watch  in  the  night,  the  war  and  the  century  in  which  it  came 
are  but  as  a  single  heart-throb  in  the  breast  of  time,  and  when 
the  myriads  of  this  great  land  shall  look  back  through  unclouded 
skies  to  the  old  heroic  davs  the  smoke  and  stain  of  the   battle 


300  THS  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

will  have  vanished  from  the  hero's  name.  The  tall  chieftain 
of  the  men  who  wore  the  gray  will  stand  before  them  'with  a 
countenance  like  the  lightning  and  in  raiment  as  white  as 
enow.' " 

But  after  all  that  could  be  said  upon  this  question,  only  a 
single  statement  answers  it.  "When  the  United  States  govern- 
ment had  Mr.  Davis'  in  its  power,  pnd  the  Northern  people 
were  clamoring  for  his  trial  and  convictioii  for  treason,  they 
kept  him  in  prison  for  two  years ;  and  after  consulting  their 
ablest  lawyers,  and,  as  it  is  understood,  at  the  advice  of  their 
Chief-Justice  Chase,  did  not  dare  to  go  into  trial  because  they 
knew  that  he  had  committed  no  treason  and  done  no  wrong, 
and  they  were  not  willing  to  give  him  the  opportunity,  for 
which  he  begged,  of  vindicating  himself  and  his  people  at  the 
bar  of  history.  They  confessed  judgment  by  refusing  to  try 
him,  and  it  is  too  late  now  to  attcm[)t  to  brand  him  and  his 
peorle  with  the  foul  stigma  of  treason. 


XIV- 

BEGINNING  OF  THE  WAR. 

After  leaving  the  Senate  Mr.  Davis  returned  to  Mississippi, 
and  promptly  accepted  the  position  tendered  him  as  Major- 
General  and  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  volunteer  forces  of  the 
State. 

-  He  longed  for  peace  and  was  in  favor  of  making  every  rea- 
sonable sacrifice  to  attain  it ;  but  he  feared  the  worst,  and 
favored  making  the  most  active  preparations  to  meet  the  war 
wiiich  he  believed  the  Republicans  of  the  North  would  force 
upon  the  South. 

While  actively  engaged  in  organizing  the  forces  of  his  State, 
and  preparing  for  whatever  emergency  might  come,  the  dele- 
gates of  the  "  Provisional  Congress"  assembled  at  Montgomery, 
Ala.,  and  among  their  first  acts  unanimously  elected  as  Presi- 
dent of  the  Confederate  States,  Jefferson  Davis,  of  Mississippi. 

So  far  from  its  being  true,  as  has  been  falsely  alleged,  that 
this  was  the  object  of  Mr.  Davis's  ambition — that  he  conspired 
to  break  up  the  Union  in  order  to  be  President  of  a  Southern 
Confederacy — the  proof  is  conclusive  that  he  neither  sought 
nor  desired  this  position.  He  had  expressed  himself  in  the 
strongest  terms  to  his  friends  as  preferring  to  serve  in  the 
army,  and  had  his  wishes  been  consulted  another  would  have 
been  chosen  to  this  position  of  high  honor  and  great  responsi- 
bility. 

But  when  it  was  made  known  to  him  that  the  united  voice 
of  all  the  States  of  the  Confederacy  looked  to  him  as  the  leader 

[301]  ^ 


302  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

and  guide  of  the  new  ''  Republic  of  Republics,"  he  sacrificed  his 
own  preferences,  went  jDromptly  to  Montgomery,  and  was  inau- 
gurated on  the  18th  of  February,  1861. 

The  ceremony  of  the  inauguration  was  very  simple,  consist- 
ing  in  the  taking  of  the  oath  of  office  and  the  inaugural 
address  of  President  Davis,  but  an  immense  crowd  of  enthusi- 
astic Confederates  heard  the  address  and  ch'eered  it  to  the  echo. 

As  a  clear,  able,  and  eloquent  statement  of  the  views  of  Mr. 
Davis,  and  as  a  defense  of  the  Confederate  cause,  this  address 
is  worthy  of  the  most  careful  study,  and-  is  given  in  full  as 
follows : 

INAUGURAL    ADDRESS    OF    PRESIDENT  DAVIS,  DELIVERED    AT    TPIE 
CAPITOL,  MONDAY,  FEBRUARY  18,  1861. 

Gentlemen  of  the   Congress  of  the   Confederate  States  of  America, 
Friends  and  Felloiv- Citizens: 

"  Called  to  the  difficult  and  responsible  station  of  Chief  Ex- 
ecutive of  the  Provisional  Government  which  you  have  insti- 
tuted, I  approach  the  discharge  of  the  duties  assigned  to  me 
with  an  humble  distrust  of  my  abilities,  but  with  a  sustaining 
confidence  in  the  wisdom  of  those  who  are  to  guide  and  aid 
me  in  the  administration  of  public  affairs,  and  an  abiding  faith 
in  the  virtue  and  patriotism  of  the  people. 

''Looking  forward  to  the  speedy  establishment  of  a  perma- 
nent government  to  take  the  place  of  this,  and  which,  by  its 
greater  moral  and  jDliysical  power,  will  be  better  able  to  com- 
bat with  the  many  difficulties  which  arise  from  the  conflicting- 
interests  of  separate  nations,  I  enter  upon  the  duties  of  the 
office,  to  which  I  have  been  chosen,  with  the  hope  that  the 
beginning  of  our  career,  as  a  Confederacy,  may  not  be  obstructed 
by  hostile  opposition  to  our  enjoyment  of  the  separate  exis- 
tence and  independence  which  we  have  asserted,  and,  with  the 
blessing  of  Providence,  intend  to  maintain.  Our  present  con- 
dition, achieved  in  a  manner  unprecedented  in  the  history  of 
nations,  illustrates  the  American  idea  that  governments  rest 
upon  the  consent  of  the  governed,  and  that  it  is  the  right  of 
the  people  to  alter  or  abolish  governments  whenever  they 
become  destructive  of  the  ends  for  which  they  were  established. 


i 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  WAR.  308 

"The  declared  purpose  of  the  compact  of  union  from  which 
we  have  withdrawn,  was  '  to  establish  justice,  insure  domestic 
tranquility,  provide  for  the  common  defense,  promote  the  gen- 
eral welfare,  and  secure  the  blessings  of  liberty  to  ourselves 
and  posterity;'  and  when  in  the  judgment  of  the  sovereign 
States  now  composing  this  Confederacy,  it  had  been  perverted 
from  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  ordained,  and  had  ceased 
to  answer  the  ends  for  which  it  was  established,  a  peaceful 
appeal  to  the  ballot-box,  declared  that  so  far  as  they  were  con- 
_cerned,  the  government  created  by  that  compact  should  cease 
to  exist.  In  this  they  merely  asserted  a  right  which  the  Dec- 
laration of  Independence  of  1776  had  defined  to  be  inaliena- 
ble. Of  the  time  and  occasion  for  its  exercise,  they  as  sover- 
eigns, were  the  final  judges,  each  for  itself.  The  impartial  and 
enlightened  verdict  of  mankind  will  vindicate  the  rectitude  of 
our  conduct,  and  He,  who  knows  the  hearts  of  men,  will  judge 
of  the  sincerity  with  which  we  labored  to  preserve  the  govern- 
ment of  our  fathers  in  its  spirit.  The  right  solemnly  pro- 
claimed at  the  birth  of  the  States  and  which  has  been  affirmed 
and  re-affirmed  in  the  bills  of  rights  of  States  subsequently^ 
admitted  into  the  Union  of  1789,  undeniably  recognizes  in  the 
people  the  power  to  resume  the  authority  delegated  for  the 
purposes  of  government.  Thus  the  sovereign  States,  here 
represented,  proceeded  to  form  this  Confederacy,  and  it  is  by 
abuse  of  language  that  their  act  has  been  denominated  a  rev- 
olution. They  formed  a  new  alliance,  but  within  each  State 
its  government  has  remained,  and  the  rights  of  person  and 
property  have  not  been  disturbed.  The  agent,  through  whom 
they  communicated  with  foreign  nations,  is  changed;  but  this 
does  not  necessarily  interrupt  their  international  relations. 

"  Sustained  by  the  consciousness  that  the  transition  from  the 
former  Union  to  the  present  Confederacy  has  not/proceeded 
from  a  disregard  on  our  part  of  just  obligations,  or  any  failure 
to  perform  any  constitutional  duty;  moved  by  no  interest  or 
passion  to  invade  the  rights  of  others;  anxious  to  cultivate 
peace  and  commerce  with  all  nations,  if  we  may  not  hope  to 
avoid  war,  we  may  at  least  expect  that  posterity  will  acquit  us 
of  having  needlessly  engaged  in  it.  Doubly  justified  by  the 
absence  of  wrong  on  our  part,  and  by  wanton  aggression  on 
the  part  of  others,  there  can  be  no  cause  to  doubt  that  the 
courage  and  patriotism  of  the  people  of  the  Confederate  Stiates 


S04  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  U3IE. 

will  be  found  equal  to  any  measures  of  defense  which  honoi 
and  security  may  require. 

"An  agricultural  people,  whose  chief  interest  is  the  export 
of  .a  commodity  required  in  every  manufacturing  country,  our 
\rue  policy  is  peace  and  the  freest  trade  which  our  necessities 
will  permit.  It  is  alike  our  interest,  and  that  of  all  those  to 
whom  we  would  sell  and  from  whom  we  would  buy,  that  there 
should  be  the  fewest  practicable  restrictions  upon  the  inter- 
change of  commodities.  There  can.  be  but  little  rivalry 
between  ours  and  any  manufacturing  or  navigating  commu- 
nity, such  as  the  northeastern  States  of  the  American  Union. 
It  must  follow,  therefore,  that  a  mutual  interest  would  invite 
good  will  and  kind  offices.  If,  however,  passion  or  the  lust -of 
dominion  should  cloud  the  judgment  or  inflame  the  ambition 
of  those  States,  we  must  prepare  to  meet  the  emergency,  and  to 
maintain,  by  the  final  arbitrament  of  the  sword,  the  position 
which  we  have  assumed  among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  We 
have  entered  upon  the  career  ol  independence,  and  it  must  be 
inflexibly  pursued.  Through  many  years  of  controversy  with 
our  late  associates,  tlie  Northern  States,  we  have  vainly 
endeavored  to  secure  tranquility,  and  to  obtain  respect  for  the 
rights  to  which  we  are  entitled.  As  a  necessity,  not  a  choice, 
we  have  resorted  to  the  remedy  of  separation;  and  henceforth 
our  energies  must  be  directed  to  the  conduct  of  our  own  affairs, 
and  the  perpetuity  of  the  Confederacy  which  we  have  formed. 
If  a  just  perception  of  mutual  interest  shall  permit  us  peace- 
ably to  pursue  our  separate  jiolitical  career,  my  most  earnest 
desire  will  have  been  fulfilled;  but  if  this  be  denied  tons,  and 
the  integrity  of  our  territory  and  jurisdiction  be  assailed,  it 
will  but  remain  for  us,  with  firm  resolve,  to  appeal  to  arms  and 
invoke  the  blessings  of  Providence  on  a  just  cause. 

''  As  a  consequence  of  our  new  condition,  and  with  a  view 
to  meet  anticipated  wants,  it  will  be  necessary  to  provide  for 
the  speedy  and  efficient  organization  of  branches  of  the  Execu- 
tive Department,  having  special  charge  of  foreign  intercourse, 
finance,  military  affairs,  and  the  postal  service. 

"For  purposes  of  defense,  the  Confederate  States  may,  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  rely  mainly  upon  the  militia ;  but  it  is 
deemed  advisable,  in  the  present  condition  of  affairs,  that 
there  should  be  a  well-instructed  and  disciplined  army,  more 
numerous  than  would  usually  be  required  on  a  peace  estab- 


££ai:rmMf  OP  TJTP  WAR.  805 

lisliment.  I  also  suggest  that,  for  the  i^rotection  of  our  har- 
bors and  commercG  on  tlie  high  sca=!,  a  navy  adapted  to  tliose 
objects  will  be  required.  These  necessities  have  doubtless 
engaged  the  attention  of  Congress. 

"With  a  constitution  differing  only  fromthatof  our  fathers, 
in  so  far  as  it  is  explanatory  of  their  well-known  intent,  freed 
from  the  sectional  conflicts  which  have  interfered  with  the  pur- 
suit of  the  general  welfare,  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  expect 
that  States  from  which  we  have  recently  parted,  may  seek  to 
.unite  their  fortunes  with  ours  under  the  government  which  we 
have  instituted.  For  this  j'our  constitutioa  makes  adequate 
provision ;  but  beyond  this,  if  I  mistake  not,  the  judgment  and 
will  of  the  people,  a  ro-union  with  the  States  from  which  we 
have  separated  is  neither  practicable  nor  desirable.  To  increase 
tlie  power,  develop  the  resources,  and  promote  the  happiness 
of  the  Confederacy,  it  is  requisite  that  there  should  be  so  much 
homogeneity  that  the  welfare  of  every  portion  shall  be  the  aim 
of  the  whole.  Where  this  does  not  exist,  antagonisms  are 
engendered  which  must  and  should  result  in  separation. 

•'Actuated  solely  by  tlie  desire  to  preserve  our  own  rights 
and  promote  our  own  welfare,  the  separation  of  the  Confeder- 
ate States  has  been  marked  by  no  aggression  upon  others,  and 
followed  by  no  domestic  convulsion.  Our  industrial  pursuits 
have  received  no  check  ;  the  cultivation  of  our  fields  has  pro- 
gressed as  heretofore;  and  even  should  we  be  involved  in  war, 
there  would  be  no  considerable  diminution  in  the  production 
of  the  staples  which  have  constituted  our  exports,  and  in  which 
the  commercial  world  has  an  interest  scarcely  less  than  our 
own.  This  common  interest  of  the  producer  and  consumer 
can  only  be  interrupted  by  an  exterior  force,  which  should 
obstruct  its  transmission  to  foreign  markets — a  course  of  con- 
duct which  would  be  as  unjust  towards  us  as  it  woiild  be  det- 
rimental to  manufacturing  and  commercial  interests  abroad. 
Should  reason  guide  the  action  of  the  government  from  which 
we  have  separated,  a  policy  so  detrimental  to  the  civilized 
world,  the  Northern  States  included,  could  not  be  dictated  by 
even  the  strongest  desire  to  inflict  injury  upon  us ;  but  if  other- 
wise, a  terrible  responsibility  will  rest  upon  it,  and  the  suffer- 
ing of  millions  will  bear  testimony  to  the  folly  and  wickedness 
of  our  aggressors.  In  the  meantime,  there  will  remain  to  ^s, 
besides  the  ordinary  means  before  suggested,  the  well-known 
resources  for  retaliation  upon  the  commerce  of  the  enemy. 


808  THU  DAVIS  MEMOmAL  VOLUMK 

"Experience  in  public  stations,  of  subordinate  grades  to 
this  wliich  your  kindness  has  conferred,  has  taught  me  that 
care,  and  toil,  and  disappointment,  are  the  price  of  official  ele- 
vation. You  will  see  many  errors  to  forgive,  many  deficiencies 
to  tolerate,  but  you  shall  not  find  in  me  either  a  want  of  zeal 
or  fidelity  to  the  cause  that  is  to  me  highest  in  hope  and  of 
most  enduring  affection.  Your  generosity  has  bestowed  upon 
me  an  undeserved  distinction— one  which  I  neither  sought 
nor  desired.  Upon  the  continuance  of  that  sentiment,  and 
upon  your  wisdom  and  patriotism,  I  rely  to  direct  and  support 
me  in  the  performance  of  the  duty  required  at  my  hands. 

"  We  have  changed  the  constituent  parts  but  not  the  system 
of  our  government.  The  constitution  formed  by  our  fathers 
is  that  of  these  Confederate  States,  in  their  exposition  of  it; 
and,  in.  the  judicial  construction  it  has  received,  we  have  a 
light  which  reveals  its  true  meaning. 

"  Thus  instructed  as  to  the  just  interpretation  of  the  instru- 
ment, and  ever  remembering  that  all  offices  are  but  trusts  held 
for  the  people,  and  that  delegated  powers  are  to  be  strictly  con- 
strued, I  will  hope  by  due  diligence  in  the  performance  of  my 
duties,  though  I  may  disajDpoint  jonv  expectations,  yet  to  retain, 
when  retiring,  something  of  the  good  will  and  confidence 
which  welcomed  my  entrance  into  office. 

"It  is  joyous,  in  the  midst  of  perilous  times,  to  look  around 
upon  a  i:)eople  united  in  heart,  wdiere  one  purpose  of  high  resolve 
animates  and  actuates  the  whole — where  the  sacrifices  to  be 
made  are  not  weighed  in  the  balance  against  honor,  and  right, 
and  liberty,  and  equality.  Obstacles  may  retard— they  cannot 
long  prevent — the  progress  of  a  movement  sanctified  by  its 
justice,  and  sustained  by  a  virtuous  people.  Reverently  let  us 
invoke  the  God  of  our  fathers  to  guide  and  protect  us  in  our 
efforts  to  perjDctuate  the  principles  which,  by  his  blessing,  they 
were  able  to  vindicate,  establish,  and  transmit  to  their  posterity, 
and  with  a  continuance  of  his  favor,  ever  gratefully  acknowl- 
edged, we  may  hopefully  look  forward  to  success,  to  peace,  and 
to  prosperity." 

Hon.  A.  H.  Stephens,  of  Georgia,  had  been  elected  Vice- 
President  of  the  Confederacy^  and  the  following  were  selected  as 
members  of  the  Cabinet :  Hon.  Robert  Toombs,  of  Georgia, 
Secretary  of  State;  Hon.  L.  P.  Walker,  of  Alabama,  Secretary 


BMOINNI^'G    OF   TILE   yVAB.  S07 

of  "War;  Hon.  C.  C.  Memminger,  of  South  Carolina,  ioecretary 
of  the  Treasury;  Hon.  S.  H.  Mallory,  of  Florida,  Secretary  of 
the  Navy;  Hon.  J.  II.  Reagan,  of  Texas,  Postmaster-General; 
Hon.  J.  P.  Benjamin,  of  Louisiana,  Attorney-General. 

The  very  first  action  of  the  Confederate  government  was  to 
declare  their  wish  to  settle  all  differences  with  the  United 
States  government  and  to  "adjust  everything  pertaining  to  the 
common  property,  conjmon  liabilities,  and  common  obligations 
of  that  union  upon  principles  of  right,  justice,  equity,  and 
good  faith." 

To  this  end  Hon.  A.  B.  Roman,  of  Louisiana;  Hon.  Martin 
.    J.  Crawford,  of  Georgia,  and  Hon.  John  Forsyth,  of  Alabama, 

-  were  appointed  on  the  25th  of  February  commissioners  to  pro- 
ceed to  Washington,  and  seek  a  peaceful  and  satisfactory 
adjustment  of  all  matters  between  the  two  governments. 

Meantime  Virginia  had  led  in  the  call  for  the  famous  "Peace 
Conference,"  and  conservative  men  of  every  section  were  labor- 
ing for  peace.  But  all  in  vain.  Hon.  Zack  Chandler,  of  Mich- 
igan, voiced  the  sentiments  of  the  ultra  men  who  now  had 
control  of  the  government,  when  he  said  "without  a  Utile  blood 
letting  this  Union  will  not,  in  my  estimation,  be  worth  a  rush;"' 
the  new  President  was  bent  on  his  purpose  "to  hold,  occupy, 
and  ]30ssess  the  property  and  places  belonging  to  the  govern- 

-  ment,  and  collect 4lie  duties  and  imposts;"  and  while  there 
were  at  the  North  s6me  very  strong  and  notable  protests  against 

-  any  attempt  to  coerce  the  sovereign  States  of  the  South,  yet 
events  rapidly  tended  in  that  direction,  and  the  efforts  of,  the 
Confederate  government  at  a  peaceful  solution  of  the  difficul- 
ties met  a  sad  and  signal  failure. 

"We  have  not  space  here  for  the  details,  but  the  correspond- 
ence of  the  Confederate  commissioners  with  the  authorities  at 
Washington,  and  the  statements  of  Judge  John  A.  Campbell, 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  who  acted  as  an  intermediary  between 
them  and  Secretary  of  State  W.  H.  Seward,  show  that  they 


acted  with  rare  discretion  and  always  in  the  interests  of  peace, 
while  ]\Ir.  Seward  was  guilty  of  a  duplicity  and  bad  faith, 
which  would  have  been  a  disgrace  to  a  semi-civilized  or  bar- 
barous nation,  and  is  a  foul  blot  on  the  escutcheon  of  the 
United  States. 

The  Secretary  promised  distinctly  and  repeatedly  that  Sum- 
ter should  be  evacuated,  and  wrote,  "  Faith  as  to  Sumter  fully 
kept  Wait  and  see,"  at  the  very  time  that  an  armed  expedi- 
tion was  on  its  M'ay  to  provision  and  reinforc3  the  garrison. 
South  Carolina  had  ceded  the  site  on  which  Sumter  had  been 
built  to  the  general  government,  for  the  protection  of  the  harbor 
of  Charleston,  and  now  that  the  fort  was  to  be  used  not  for  its 
original  purpose,  but  for  the  destruction  of  her  beautiful  city, 
the  State  had  the  clear  right  to  demand  it  back,  and  the  Confed- 
erate authorities  acted  with  rare  patience  and  forbearance 
when  they  waited  so  long  in  the  vain  hope  of  getting  peace- 
able possession  of  their  own. 

But  when  they  received  information  that  this  powerful 
armament  was  about  to  enter  the  harbor  to  reinforce  Sumter, 
and  make  it  impregnable  to  their  assaults,  in  opening  fire 
upon  the  fort  they  acted  as  strictly  in  self-defence  as  the  man  who 
uses  whatever  force  may  be  necessary  to  disarm  an  assassin  about  to 
strike  him  without  luaiting  for  the  fatal  blow. 

All,  therefore,  that  has  been  written  or  spoken  about  the 
South  "  firing  the  first  gun  "  is  the  veriest  nonsense  and  bosh. 

I  overheard  a  very  lively  discussion  at  Winchester,  Va., 
when  "  old  Stonewall ''  captured  it  in  May,  1862,  from  "  Quar- 
termaster Banks,"  between  a  Federal  colonel,  who  was  a  pri- 
soner, and  a  private  soldier  in  the  Thirteenth  Virginia  regiment. 

After  the  discussion  had  j^rogressed  for  some  time  the  colonel, 
with  a  considerable  air  of  confidence,  said  to  "Johnny": 

"I  will  settle  the  discussion,  sir,  by  asking  you  just  one 
question.      Who  fired  the  first  gun  in  this  ivar?  " 

As  quick  as  a  flash  the  Confederate  replied  : 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  WAR.  809 

"  John  Brown  at  Harper's  Ferry,  sir.  He  fired  the  first  gun. 
And  Mr.  Lincoln,  in  attempting  to  reinforce  Sumter,  fired  the  sec- 
ond gun.  And  the  Confederates  have  acted  on  the  defensive  all  of 
the  time.  We  did  not  invade  your  country,  hut  you  invaded  ours; 
you  go  home  and  attend  to  your  own  business  and  leave  us  to  attend 
to  ours,  and  the  ivar  will  close  at  once." 

Did  not  this  humble  private  soldier  in  his  reply  to  the  Fed- 
eral colonel  give  the  philosophy  of  the  whole  question  ?  And 
does  the  world's  history  afford  a  clearer  example  of  a  brave 
people  standing  on  the  defensive  and  resisting  the  invasion  of 
their  rights  and  of  their  territory'  than  that  of  the  people  of 
the  South? 

But  the  government  at  Washington  accomplished  its  pur- 
pose in  inducing  the  Confederates  to  capture  Sumter,  raised  the 
cry  that  "the  flag  had  been  insulted,"  "fired  the  Northern 
hfeart"  by  utterly  misrepresenting  the  facts,  and  deliberately 
inaugurated  war  to  force  the  seceded  States  back  into  the 
Union.  Mr.  Lincoln  issued  his  proclamation  calling  for  sev- 
enty-five thousand  men  to  coerce  the  seceded  States,  and  called 
upon  Virginia  and  other  border  States  to  furnish  their  quota, 
and  lie  thus  inaugurated  the  most  iniquitous  war  of  modern 
times;  while  from  that  day  every  effort  has  been  made  to  cast 
the  odium  of  it  on  Mr.  Davis  and  the  Confederates. 

Looking  back  atrit  from  the  results  and  in  the  calm  liirht  of 
twenty-nine  yearslafter  the  event,  it  is  very  easy  to  say  that 
the  South  ought  not  to  have  seceded  and  brought  upon  herself 
the  "overwhelming  numbers  and  resources"  against  which  she 
fought,  and  yet  it  is  quite  certain  that  General  Lee  voiced  the 
real  sentiment  of  the  true  people  of  the  South  when,  several 
years  after  the  war,  he  said  to  General  Wade  Hampton  :  "  We 
could  have  pursued  no  other  course  without  dishonor.  And 
sad  as  the  result  has  been,  if  it  had  all  to  be  done  over  again, 
we  should  be  compelled  to  act  in  precisely  in  the  same  man- 
ner." 


310  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME 

But  the  odds  against  us  were  fearful  as  a  very  brief  state- 
ment will  clearly  show: 

General  Lee  (in  a  circular  letter  which,  after  the  war,  he 
addressed  to  his  leading  officers  asking  their  help  in  the  pre- 
paration of  his  proposed  history  of  his  campaigns)  said :  "  It 
will  be  difficult  to  get  the  world  to  appreciate  the  odds  against 
which  we  fought,"  and  this  has  been  fully  realized.  Even  our 
Confederate  writers  are  often  misled  into  gross  exaggerations  of 
our  numbers,  and  it  is  a  rare  thing  to  find  a  Northern  writer  who 
does  not  follow  the  estimates  made  during  the  war,  and  greatly 
overstate  Confederate  numbers  and  resources.  But  the  official 
reports,  the  "  field  returns,"  etc.,  are  now  accessible 

The  census  of  1860  shows  that  the  fourteen  States  from 
which  the  Confederacy  drew  any  part  of  its  forces  had  a  white 
population  of  only  7,946,111,  of  which  2,498,891  belonged  to 
Maryland,  Kentucky,  and  Missouri,  which  three  States  actu- 
ally furnished  (because  of  the  force  of  circumstances  they  could 
not  control)  more  men  to  the  Federal  than  to  the  Confederate 
armies;  so  that  the  total  population  upon  which  the  Confede- 
racy could  draw  was  only  5,447,220,  while  the  Federal  govern- 
ment had  (exclusive  of  Maryland,  Kentucky,  and  Missouri)  a 
population  of  19,011,360.  Add  to  this  the  patent  facts  that 
we  soon  lost  large  portions  of  our  territory — that  the  Federal 
armies  were  largely  recruited  from  our  negro  population — and 
that,  by  means  of  large  bounties  and  other  inducements,  they 
drew  from  the  dense  populations  of  Europe  a  ver}^  large  pro- 
portion of  their  levies,  and  it  will  be  seen  that  the  odds  in  num 
bers  against  the  Confederacy  must  have  been  enormous.  The 
statement  that  has  sometimes  been  made  that  the  4,000,000  of 
negroes  in  the  South  "were  the  same  as  soldiers,  because  they 
did  the  work  in  the  fields  which  white  men  would  have  had 
to  do,"  is  sufficiently  refuted  by  saying  that  from  the  first  the 
negroes  were  enticed  into  the  Federal  lines — that  they  were 
enlisted  by  thousands  in  the  Federal  armies  and  employed  in 


BEGINNING  OF  THE   WAR.  .^11 

other  capacities  which  relieved  white  soldiers — and  that  it  was 
very  common  for  the  young  negro  men  to  run  off  leaving 
only  the  old  men,  the  women,  and  the  children,  as  a  burden 
on  the  plantation,  and  a  heavy  tr*:^  on  the  planter. 

Secretary  Stanton  (page  31  of  his  final  report)  states  that 
there  were  actually  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United 
States  from  the  15th  of  April,  18G1,  to  the  14th  of  April,  18G5, 
2,G5G,553  men.  In  1881  the  adjutant-general's  office  pub- 
lished a  tabulated  statement  of  the  men  furnished  by  each 
State  to  the  United  States  armies,  from  which  it  appears  that 
there  were  actually  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United 
States  during  the  war  2,859,132  men. 

Mr.  William  Swinton,  aftfer  a  careful  investigation  of  the 
Confederate  records,  states  that  G00,000  men  were  put  into  the 
Confederate  armies  during  the  entire^  war.  In  a  correspond- 
ence between  Dr.  Joseph  Jones,  of  New  Orleans  (first  secretary 
of  the  Southern  Historical  Society),  and  General  S.  Cooper, 
the  accomplished  Adjutant-General  of  the  Confederacy  (see 
Southern  Historical  papers,  vol.  VII.,  page  287),  it  is  clearly 
shown  that  the  entire  number  of  men  mustered  into  the  Con- 
federate service  did  not  exceed  600,000 — that  not  more  than 
400,000  were  enrolled  at  any  one  time — that  the  Confederates 
never  had  in  the  field  more  than  200,000  men  capable  of 
bearing  arms  at  any  one  time,  i.  e.,  exclusive  of  sick,  wounded, 
and  disabled — that  one-third  of  the  entire  number,  or  200,000. 
were  either  killed  upon  the  field  or  died  of  wounds  or  disease — 
that  another  third  of  the  entire  number  were  captured-:-and 
that  in  April,  1865,  the  available  force  of  the  Confederates 
numbered  scarcely  100,000  men,  to  whom  there  were  opposed 
over  1,000,000  Federal  soldiers. 

Add  to  this  great  disparity  of  numbers  the  well-known 
facts  that  the  South  was  an  agricultural  and  not  a  manufac- 
turing people — that  our  ports  were  blockaded  and  we  were 
shut  in  from  the  markets  of  the  world — that  we  were  all  of 


312  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

the  time  deficient  in  clothes,  equipments,  arms,  ammunition, 
transportation,  rations,  everything  necessary  to  the  efficiency  of 
armies  save  the  skill  of  our  generals  and  the  brave  hearts  of 
our  men — and  it  will  be  conceded  that  General  Lee  did  not 
put  it  too  strongly  when  he  said  in  his  farewell  address  that 
we  were  "compelled  to  yield  to  overwhelming  numbers  and  re- 
sources.^^ 

But  although  Mr.  Davis  had  done  everything  in  his  power 
to  avert  war  he  bravely  met  the  issue  when  forced  upon  him, 
and,  despite  scant  numbers  and  resources,  for  four  years  he 
maintained  the  contest  with  an  ability,  skill,  and  heroism 
which  astonished  the  world,  which  deserved  success,  and  which 
would  unquestionably  have  won  it,  but  for  causes  beyond  his 
control. 

As  soon  as  Virginia  passed  her  ordinance  of  secession  (April 
17,  1861),  and  cast  in  her  lot  with  her  Southern  sisters,  Mr. 
Davis  proposed  the  removal  of  the  Confederate  capital  to 
Richmond,  and  this  was  promptly  agreed  upon. 

Mr.  Davis  himself  arrived  in  Richmond  the  last  of  May,  his 
journey  hither  being  a  series  of  ovations  at  every  city,  town 
and  village  along  the  route,  and  was  received  with  the  most 
enthusiastic  demonstrations  by  the  people. 

His  headquarters  were  first  at  the  Spotswood  hotel,  and 
then  in  "  the  White  House  of  the  Confederacy,"  which  the  city 
of  Richmond  purchased  as  a  gift  to  the  President,  but  which 
he  persistently  declined  to  receive,  and  only  consented  to  occupy 
on  condition  that  full  rent  should  be  paid  for  it. 

A  detailed  sketch  of  the  life  of  Mr.  Davis  in  Richmond,  and 
his  administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  Confederate  govern- 
ment— his  joy  at  a  long  line  of  victories  which  illumine  brightest 
pages  of  the  world's  history,  and  his  calm,  dignified  bearing 
amid  disasters  and  final  failure — would  make  a  volume  many 
times  larger  than  this,  and  cannot,  of  course,  be  given  here. 


BEGINNING   OF  THE  WAR,  S13 

We  can  only  givo  a  few  illustrations  of  the  salient  points  of 
his  life  in  Richmond,  and  his  conduct  of  the  war. 

The  Hichmond  Dispatch  thus  relates  some  of  the  incidents  of 
his  life  in  Richmond : 

"  ;Mr.  Davis  came  to  Richmond  from  Montgomery,  Ala.,  upon 
the  removal  of  the  canital  here,  and  reached  this  city  May  the 
29th,  1861. 

"  War  was  just  then  beginning  in  earnest.  The  enthusiasm 
of  our  people  ran  high.  The  uniforms  of  our  soldiers  were  as 
yet  unstained  by  the  mud  of  the  trenches.  The  gold  braid  on 
the  officers'  coats  was  untarnished.  Sugar,  cofleo,  tea,  dry 
goods,  and  medicines  were  to  be  had  at  slightly  advanced 
prices.  South  Carolina  troops  were  encamped  at  the  old  fair 
grounds  (Monroe  Park),  and  the  ladies  of  the  city  lavished 
upon  them  their  best  attentions.  Virginia  troops  were  ren- 
dezvousing at  the  new  fair  grounds  (Exposition  grounds),  and 
Jackson  Park  (between  the  old  reservoir  and  Harvietown)  was 
being  filled  with  Southern  regiments.  All  were  getting  ready 
to  go  to  the  field  of  Manassas.  Many  regiments  were  already 
there,  while  another  army  was  under  Magruder  on  the  Penin- 
sula. 

"  Mr.  Davis  was  received  here  with  distinguished  honors, 
and  quarters  were  assigned  ijim  at  the  Spotswood  hotel,  which 
then  stood  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Main  and  Eighth  streets, 
but  was  destroyed  by  fire  December  25,  1870. 

"Here  speeches  were  made,  welcome  after  welcome  extended, 
and  crowds  pressed  forward  to  be  introduced  to  ^h.  Davis  and 
members  of  his  :^nily. 

"  Mrs.  Davis  w$s  thus  described: 

"  'She  is  a  tall,  commanding  figure,  with  dark  hair,  ej^es  and 
complexion,  and  strongly  marked  characteristics,  which  lie 
chiefly  in  the  mouth.  With  firmly-set  yet  flexible  lips  there 
is  indicated  much  energy  of  purpose  and  Avill,  but  beautifully 
softened  by  the  usually  sad  expression  of  her  dark,  earnest 
eyes.  Her  manners  are  kind,  graceful,  easy,  and  affable,  and 
her  receptions  are  characterized  by  the  dignity  and  suavity 
which  should  ver}^  properly  distinguish  the  drawing-room 
entertainments  of  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  a  republic' 

"Proud  of  becoming  the  capital  of  the  Confederacy,  desirous 
to  do  honor  to  President  Davis,  and  anxious  to  give  him  the 


814  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

heartiest  possible  welcome  here,  the  city  council  purchased  and 
furnished  what  was  ever  afterwards  known  as  'the  Jefll".  Davis 
mansion,'  and  offered  it  to  him  as  a  free  gift. 

"He  declined  it. 

"  He  would  not  accept  any  present  of  value ;  but  he  agreed 
to  make  the  house  his  home  upon  condition  that  the  city 
should  receive  from  the  government,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
furnish  him  a  home,  rent  therefor.  He  occupied  the  house  in 
the  early  summer  of  1861,  and  bade  farewell  to  it  April 
2,  1865. 

"From  the  windows  of  this  house  there  was  a  view  north- 
ward into  the  county  of  Henrico.  It  is  a  high  hill,  at  the 
foot  of  which  runs  Shockoe  creek.  Before  the  President  was  a 
prospect  of  small  farms  and  orchards ;  of  humble  suburban 
houses  set  in  the  midst  of  trees,  and  four  miles  off  he  caught 
a  glimpse  of  the  tall  green  trees  growing  in  the  swamps  of  the 
Chickahominy. 

"  His  outlook  was  to  tlie  front — not  toward  the  James.  The 
river  was  back  of  him,  and  at  the  battles  around  Kichmond 
in  June,  1862,  had  he  been  at  home  instead  of  in  the  saddle 
with  his  generals  (as  he  often  was)  he  could  have  seen  the  flash 
of  our  artillery  at  Mechanicsville  and  at  Ellerson's  mill.  From 
the  windows  of  the  house  looking  east  he  could  see  the  James 
meandering  towards  Drewry's  Bluff  and  Dutch  Gap. 

"The  house  was  built  in  1817  and  1818  by  Dr.  John  Brock- 
enbrough,  from  whom  it  passed  to  Mr.  James  M.  Morson,  and 
thence  to  Hon.  James  A.  Seddon,  and  thence  to  Mr.  Lewis  D. 
Crenshaw. 

"Mr.  Crenshaw  sold  it,  and  most  of  the  furniture  which  it 
contained,  to  the  city  for  $40,000. 

"  From  the  front  porch  the  entrance  door  opened  into  the 
principal  hall  (14x18  feet),  elliptical  in  form  with  two  niches, 
each  containing  a  bronze  statue  utilized,  if  not  designed,  for 
gas  purposes.  Tlie  front  of  the  building  to  the  right  of  the 
hall  was  divided  into  a  staircase  hall,  with  two  niches  contain- 
ing marble  statuettes,  and  a  cosy  library  (11-3x14  feet),  and 
to  the  left  was  a  private  stairway,  and  the  entry  affording 
ingress  to  the  dining-room  and  egress  from  the  building.  The 
elegant  apartments  for  entertaining  were  in  rear  and  en  suite, 
the  parlor  (18x24  feet)  being  located  between  the  withdrawing- 
room  (about  22  feet  square)  and  the  dining-room  about  (22x 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  WAR.  S15 


e< 


9  feet).  Each  of  these  rooms  was  lighted  by  a  large  side- 
light window  extending  to  the  floor  and  affording  access  to  a 
noble  piazza  (12xG7  feet)  facing  the  south.  Tlie  dining-room 
had  two  additional  windows  on  the  east  side,  both  opening 
upon  a  terrace. 

"It  was  from  the  window  of  this  building  tliat  Presiderit 
Davis's  little  son  Joe  fell  and  lost  his  life. 

"As  you  entered  the  house  from  Clay  street  on  the  riglit 
was  a  small  ante-room  to  the  beatitiful  parlors  where  all  State 
receptions  were  held  during  the  war.  On  the  opposite  side  of 
the  hall  or  passage  was  the  library  and  dining-room.  Upstairs 
were  the  chambers  and  private  office  of  Mr.  Davis.  In  the 
basement  was  the  pantry  and  store-rooms  of  various  sorts." 

This  house  was  occupied  as  Federal  headquarters  on  the  cap- 
ture of  Richmond,  and  has  for  some  years  been  used  as  one  of 
the  public  school  buildings  of  the  cit}^ ;  but  there  are  plans 
on  foot  to  convert  it  into  a  Confederate  museum  and  library, 
and  it  is  hoped  that  this  w^ill  be  done. 

"  The  President's  office  was  on  the  third  floor  of  the  Treas- 
ury building  (custom-house)  and  at  the  head  of  the  steps  as  you 
entered  from  Bank  street. 

"  Within  two  years  past  the  custom-house  building  has  been 
remodelled  and  enlarged  and  a  new  front  has  been  put  on 
Bank  street,  but  the  rooms  which  he  occupied  have  been  left 
intact  and  are  reached  almost  exactly  as  they  were  twenty-five 
years  ago. 

"The  room  of  fjle  private  secretary  of  the  President,  Burton 
N.  Harrison,  was  that  which  subsequently  became  the  office  of 
the  United  States  Marshal. 

"  The  room  across  the  passage,  long  occupied  as  the  office 
of  the  clerk  of  the  United  States  District  Court,  was  the  room 
used  by  President  Davis. 

"  The  aids  to  the  President  (in  1863)  were :  Colonel  AVilliam 
M.  Browne,  residence  on  Franklin  street.  Church  Hill,  second 
door  from  Twenty-sixth  street;  Colonel  James  Chestnut,  of 
South  Carolina;  Colonel  William  Preston  Johnston,  of  Ken- 
tucky, residence  at  Mr.  Dill's  on  the  ]\[eadow-Bridge  road; 
Colonel  Joseph  C.  Ives,  of  Mississippi,  residence  corner  Grace 
and  First   streets ;  Colonel  G.  W.  Custis  Lee,  of  Virginia,  resi- 


S16  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

dence  Franklin  between  Seventh  and  Eighth  street;  Colonel 
Jolin  T.  Wood,  residence  Sixth  street  south  of  Main,  in  rear  of 
Second  Baptist  church.  President's  Private  Secretary,  Burton 
N.  Harrison,  of  Mississippi,  residence  at  the  President's  house. 
Messenger,  Master  WilHam  Davies  (now  proprietor  of  a  photo- 
graph gallery  here). 

"  Unless  detained  by  pressing  business  Mr.  Davis  usually 
left  his.  office  at  about  5  o'clock.  Sometimes  Mrs.  Davis  would 
come  for  him  in  her  carriage,  but  oftener,  he  would  walk,  and 
about  sundown  would  be  seen  on  his  horse  (he  was  a  beautiful 
rider)  galloping  along  some  street  leading  to  the  country. 

"  On  one  of  these  rides  when  he  was  passing  through  the 
wastern  section  of  the  city  in  the  neighborhood  of  Gillie's  creek 
and  Williamsburg  avenue  he  was  fired  upon  and  narrowly 
escaped  death  from  the  bullet  of  an  assassin  hidden  in  one  of 
the  small  houses  in  that  vicinity. 

"  The  matter  was  kept  very  quiet  indeed,  few  people  in 
Richmond  ever  heard  of  it,  but  the  arrest  of  a  man  suspected 
of  the  crime  was  made  at  the  time.  No  positive  evidence 
could  be  procured  against  him  and  he  was  discharged. 

"  This  incident  has  recently  been  the  subject  of  a  letter 
written  by  Mr.  Davis,  in  which  he  states  his  positive  convic- 
tion that  the  shot  which  he  so  narrowly  escaped  was  not  a 
chance-shot  fired  in  his  direction  by  accident,  but  one  aimed 
at  him  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin. 

"  Mr.  Davis  left  the  city  to  be  present  at  the  battle  of  Ma- 
nassas and  soon  after  that  conflict  at  arms  returned  to  Rich- 
mond and  made  a  speech  from  a  window  of  the  Spotswood. 

"  During  the  seven-days'  battles  in  front  of  this  city  he  was 
often  on  the  field,  but  with  these  exceptions  and  one  or  two 
visits  South,  he  remained  in  Richmond  constantly  during  the 
war." 

He  was  present  at  the  close  of  the  battle  of  First  Manassas 
["  Bull  Run',  it  is  called  by  Northern  writers]  on  the  21st  of 
July,  1861,  and  sent  from  the  field  the  following  characteristic 
dispatch : 

"Manassas  Junction,  Sunday  Night. 

"Night  has  closed  upon  a  hard-fought  field.  Our  forces 
were  victorious.  The  enemy  were  routed,  and  precipitately  fled 
abandoning  a  large  amount  of  arms,  knapsacks,  and  baggage. 


^EOmmNG  OF  THE  wa&.  Mt 

The  ground  was  stre^Yll  for  miles  with  those  killed,  and  the 
farm-iiouscsand  ground  around  were  filled  with  the  wounded. 
Pursuit  was  continued  along  several  routes  towards  Leeshurg 
and  Centreville,  until  darkness  covered  the  fugitives.  AVe  have 
captured  many  field  batteries  and  stands  of  arms,  and  one  of 
the  United  States  flags.  Many  prisoners  have  beentaken.  Too 
high  praise  can  not  be  bestowed,  whether  for  the  skill  of  the 
principal  officers,  or  the  gallantry  of  all  our  troops.  The  bat- 
tle was  mainly  fought  on  our  left.  Our  forces  w^as  15,000; 
that  of  the  enemy  estimated  at  35,000.  Jeff'n  Davis." 

It  was  afterwards  charged  that  he  stopped  the  pursuit  of  the 
enemy  that  night,  and  was  responsible  for  the  long  inactivity 
which  followed  that  great  victory;  but  the  proof  is  over- 
whelming that  he  was  very 'anxious  to  have  a  vigorous  pur- 
suit and  issued  an  order  to  that  effect,  and  that  ho  was  press- 
ing General  Johnston  for  weeks  and  months  after  the  battle  to 
utilize  the  victory  by  an  advance  across  the  Potomac. 

On  his  return  to  Richmond  after  this  battle  he  received  a 
most  enthusiastic  ovation,  and  made  brief  but  ringing  speeches 
at  the  depot  and  to  an  immense  crowd  that  gathered  at  the 
Spotswood  hotel  that  night. 

He  "counseled  moderation  and  forbearance  in  victory,  with 
unrelaxed  preparations"  for  the  future  struggles  of  the  war; 
and  used  that  fairuDUs  utterance :  "  Never  he  liaugldy  to  ilie  humble 
'uor  humble  to  the  laurjJdi/.'" 

At  this  period  his  popularity  with  his  people  knew  no 
bounds.  It  was  only  after  disaster  came  that  grumblers  drose 
to  criticise  and  condemn  his  conduct  of  affairs;  but  he  always 
had  with  him  the  hearts  of  an  overwhelming  majority  of  the 
soldiers  and  the  people. 

In  November,  ISGl,  he  was,  without  opposition,  elected  by 
the  people  President  of  the  "permanent"  government  of  the 
Confederate  States,  and  on  the  2 2d  of  February,  1862,  he  was, 
inaugurated.     Mr.  Alfriend,  who  was  present  on  the  occasion, 


gl8  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

has  so  vividly  described  the  scene  that  we  quote  his  account 
in  full: 

"The  inaugural  ceremonies  were  as  simple  and  appropriate 
as  those  witnessed  at  Montgomery  a  year  previous.  Tiie  mem- 
bers of  the  Confederate  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives, 
with  the  members  of  the  Virginia  Legislature,  awaited  in  the 
hall  of  the  House  of  Delegates  the  arrival  of  the  President. 
In  consecj.uence  of  the  limited  capacity  of  the  hall,  compara- 
tively few  spectators — a  majority  of  them  ladies — witnessed 
the  proceeding's  there.  Immediately  fronting  the  cliair  of  the 
speaker  were  the  ladies  of  Mr.  Davis's  household,  attended  by 
relatives  and  friends.  In  close  proximity  were  the  members 
of  the  cabinet. 

"A  contemporary  account  thus  mentions  this  scene:  'It 
was  a  grave  and  great  assemblage.  Time-honored  men  were 
there,  who  had  witnessed  ceremony  after  ceremony  of  inaugu- 
ration in  the  palmiest  da3's  of  the  old  confederation;  those  who 
had  been  at  the  inauguration  of  the  iron-willed  Jackson;  men 
who,  in  their  fiery  Southern  ardor,  had  thrown  down  the  gaunt- 
let of  defiance  in  the  halls  of  Federal  legislation,  and  in  the 
face  of  the  enemy  avowed  their  determination  to  be  free;  and 
finally  witnessed  the  enthroning  of  a  republican  despot  in  their 
country's  chair  of  state.  All  were  there;  and  silent  tears  were 
seen  coursing  do\Yn  the  cheeks  of  gray-headed  men,  while  the 
determined  will  stood  out  in  every  feature.' 

"The  appearance  of  the  President  was  singularly  imposing, 
though  there  were  visible  traces  of  his  profound  emotion,  and 
a  pallor,  painful  to  look  upon,  reminded  the  spectator  of  his 
recent  severe  indisposition.  His  dress  was  a  plain  citizen's 
suit  of  black.  Mr.  Hunter,  of  Virginia,  temporary  president 
of  the  Confederate  Senate,  occupied  the  right  of  the  platform ; 
Mr.  Bocock,  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  the  left. 
When  President  Davis,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Orr,  of  South 
Carolina,  chairman  of  committee  of  the  arrangements  on  the  part 
of  the  Senate,  reached  the  hall  and  passed  to  the  chair  of  the 
speaker,  subdued  applause,  becoming  the  place  and  the  occa- 
sion, greeted  him.  A  short  time  sufficed  to  carry  into  effect 
the  previously  arranged  programme,  and  the  distinguished 
procession  moved  to  the  Washington  monument,  where  a  stand 
was  prepared  for  the  occasion. 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  WAR.  819 

"Hon.  James  Lyons,  of  Virginia,  chairman  of  the  House 
committee  of  arrangements,  called  the  assemblage  to  order, 
and  an  eloquent  and  appropriate  prayer  was  offered  by  Bishop 
Johns,  of  the  Diocese  of  Virginia.  The  President,  having 
received  a  most  enthusiastic  welcome  from  the  assemblage, 
with  a  clear  and  measured  accent,  delivered  his  inaugural 
address: 

"  Felloiv-citizens :  On  this,  the  birthday  of  the  man  most  iden- 
tified with  the  establishment  of  American  independence,  and 
beneath  the  monument  erected  to  commemorate  his  heroic  vir- 
tues and  those  of  his  compatriots,  we  have  assembled,  to  usher 
into  existence  the  permanent  government  of  the  Confederate 
States.  Through  this  instrumentality,  under  the  favor  of 
Divine  Providence,  we  hope  to  perpetuate  the  principles  of  our 
revolutionary  fathers.  The  day,  the  memory,  and  the  pur- 
pose seem  fitly  associated. 

"It  is  with  mingled  feelings '  of  humility  and  pride  that  I 
appear  to  take,  in  the  presence  of  the  people,  and  before  high 
Heaven,  the  oath  prescribed  as  a  qualification  for  the  exalted 
station  to  which  the  unanimous  voice  of  the  people  has  called 
me.  Deeply  sensible  of  all  that  is  implied  by  this  manifesta- 
tion of  the  people's  confidence,  I  am  yet  more  profoundly  im- 
pressed by  the  vast  responsibility  of  the  office,  and  humbly 
feel  my  own  unworthiness. 

"  In  return  for  their  kindness,  I  can  only  offer  assurances  of 
the  gratitude  with  which  it  is  received,  and  can  but  pledge  a 
zealous  devotion-of  every  faculty  to  the  service  of  those  who 
have  chosen  mefas  their  chief  magistrate. 

"  When  a  long  course  of  class  legislation,  directed  not  to  the 
general  welfare,  but  to  the  aggrandizement  of  the  northern 
section  of  the  Union,  culminated  in  a  warfare  on  the  domestic 
institutions  of  the  Southern  States;  when  the  dogmas  of  a  sec- 
tional party,  substituted  for  the  provisions  of  the  constitutional- 
compact,  threatened  to  destroy  the  sovereign  rights  of  the 
States,  six  of  those  States,  withdrawing  from  the  Union,  con- 
federated together  to  exercise  the  right  and  perform  the  duty 
of  instituting  a  government  which  would  better  secure  the 
liberties  for  the  preservation  of  which  that  Union  was  estab- 
lished. 

"  Whatever  of  hope  some  may  have  entertained  that  a 
returning  sense  of  justice  would  remove  the  danger  with  which 


m  TME  DA  ns  MEMOmAL  VOL  UMR 

our  rights  were  threatened,  and  render  it  possible  to  pj'eserve 
the  union  of  the  constitution,  must  have  been  dispelled  by 
the  malignity  and  barbarity  of  the  Northern  States  in  the 
prosecution  of  the  existing  war.  The  confidence  of  the  most 
hopeful  among  us  must  have  been  destroyed  by  the  disregard 
ihey  have  recently  exhibited  for  all  the  time-honored  bulwarks 
of  civil  and  religious  liberty.  Bastiles  filled  with  prisoners, 
arrested  without  civil  process,  or  indictment  duly  found  ;  the 
writ  of  habeas  corpus  suspended  by  executive  mandate ;  a  State 
legislature  controlled  by  the  imprisonment  of  members  whose 
avowed  princfples  suggested  to  the  Federal  executive  that  there 
might  be  another  added  to  the  list  of  seceded  States ;  elections 
held  under  threats  of  a  military  power;  civil  officers,  peaceful 
citizens,  and  gentle  women  incarcerated  for  opinion's  sake,  pro- 
claimed the  incapacity  of  our  late  associates  to  administer  a 
government  as  free,  liberal,  and  humane  as  that  established 
for  our  common  use. 

"  For  proof  of  the  sincerity  of  our  purpose  to  maintain  our 
ancient  institutions,  we  may  point  to  the  constitution  of  the 
Confederacy  and  the  laws  enacted  under  it,  as  well  as  to  the 
fact  that,  through  all  the  necessities  of  an  unequal  struggle, 
there  has  been  no  act,  on  our  part,  to  impair  personal  liberty 
or  the  freedom  of  speech,  of  thought,  or  of  the  press.  The 
courts  have  been  open,  the  judicial  functions  fully  executed, 
and  every  right  of  the  peaceful  citizen  maintained  as  securely 
as  if  a  war  of  invasion  had  not  disturbed  the  land. 

"The  people  of  the  States  now  confederated  became  convinced 
that  the  government  of  the  United  States  had  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  a  sectional  majority,  who  would  pervert  the  most 
sacred  of  all  trusts  to  the  destruction  of  the  rights  which  it  was 
pledged  to  protect.  They  believed  that  to  remain  longer  in 
the  Union  would  subject  them  to  a  continuance  of  a  disparag- 
ing discrimination,  suomission  to  wdiich  would  be  inconsistent 
with  their  welfare  and  intolerable  to  a  proud  people.  They, 
therefore,  determined  to  sever  its  bonds,  and  establish  a  new 
confederacy  for  themselves. 

"  The  experiment,  instituted  by  our  revokitionary  fathers,  of 
a  voluntary  union  of  sovereign  States,  for  purposes  specified  in 
a  solemn  compact,  had  been  prevented  by  those  who,  feeling 
power  and  forgetting  right,  were  determined  to  respect  no  law 
but  their  own  will.     The  government  had  ceased  to  answer 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  WAH.  821 

the  ends  for  which  it  had  been  ordained  and  established.  To 
save  ourselves  from  a  revolution  which,  in  its  silent  but  rapid 
progress,  was  about  to  place  us  under  the  despotism  of  num- 
bers, and  to  preserve,  in  spirit  as  well  as  in  form,  a  S3'stem  of 
government  we  believed  to  be  peculiarly  fitted  to  our  condi- 
tion and  full  of  promise  for  mai'ikind,  we  determined  to  n.ako 
anew  association,  composed  of  States  homogeneous  in  interest, 
in  policy,  and  in  feeling. 

"  True  to  our  traditions  of  peace  and  love  of  justice,  we  sent 
commissioners  to  the  United  States  to  propose  a  fair  and  ami- 
cable settlement  of  all  questions  cfpublic  debt  orproperty  which 
might  be  in  dispute.  But  the  government  at  Washington, 
denying  our  right  to  self-government,  refused  even  to  listen 
to  any  proposals  for  a  peaceful  separation.  Nothing  was  then 
left  to  us  but  to  prepare  for  war. 

"The  first  year  in  our  history  has  bpen  the  most  eventful  in 
►the  annals  of  this  continent.  A  new  government  has  been 
established,  and  its  machinery  put  in  operation,  over  an  area 
exceeding  seven  hundred  thousand  square  miles.  The  great 
principles  upon  which  we  have  been  willing  to  hazard  every 
thing  that  is  dear  to  man  have  made  conquests  for  us  which 
could  never  have  been  achieved  by  the  sword.  Our  Confede- 
racy has  grown  from  six  to  thirteen  States;  and  Maryland, 
already  united  to  us  by  hallowed  memories  and  material  inter- 
ests, will,  I  believe,  when  able  to  speak  with  unstifled  voice, 
connect  her  destiny  with  the  South.  Our  people  have  rallied, 
with  unexamplelTunanimity,  to  the  support  of  the  great  prin- 
ciples of  constitlutional  government,  with  firm  resolve  to  per- 
petuate by  aruiS  the  rights  which  tliey  could  not  peacefully 
secure.  A  million  of  men,  it  is  estimated,  are  now  standing  in 
liostile  array,  and  waging  war  along  a  frontier  of  thousands  of 
miles;  battles  have  been  fought,  sieges  have  been  conducted, 
and,  although  the  contest  is  not  ended,  and  the  tide  for  the 
moment  is  against  us,  the  final  result  in  our  favor  is  not  doubt- 
ful. 

"The  period  is  near  at  hand  when  our  foes  must  sink  under 
the  immense  load  of  debt  which  they  have  incurred — a  debt 
which,  in  their  efforts  to  subjugate  us,  lias  already  attained 
such  fearful  dimensions  as  will  subject  them  to  burdens  which 
must  continue  to  oppress  thein  for  generations  to  come. 

"  We,  too,  have  had  our  trials  and  difficulties.  That  we  are 
21 


a22  THE.  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

to  escape  them  in  the  future  is  not  to  be  hopea.  It  was  to  be 
expected,  when  we  entered  upon  this  war,  that  it  would  expose 
our  people  to  sacrifices,  and  cost  them  much  both  of  money 
and  blood.  But  we  knew  the  value  of  the  object  for  which 
we  struggled,  and  understood  the  nature  of  the  war  in  which 
we  were  engaged.  Nothing  could  be  so  bad  as  failure,  and 
any  sacrifice  would  be  cheap  as  the  price  of  success  :n  sucli  a 
contest. 

"  But  the  picture  has  its  lights  as  well  as  its  shadows.  This 
great  strife  has  awakened  in  the  people  the  highest  emotions 
and  qualities  of  the  human  soul.  It  is  cultivating  feelings  of 
patriotism,  virtue  and  courage.  Instances  of  self-sacrifice  and 
of  generous  devotion  to  the  noble  cause  for  which  we  are  con- 
tending are  rife  throughout  the  land.  Never  has  a  people 
evinced  a  more  determined  spirit  than  that  now  animating 
men.  women,  and  children  in  every  part  of  our  country.  Upon 
the  first  call,  the  men  fly  to  arms;  and  wives  and  mothers  send 
their  husbands  and  sons  to  battle  without  a  murmur  of  regret. 

"  It  was,  perhaps,  in  the  ordination  of  Providence  that  we 
were  to  be  taught  the  value  of  our  liberties  by  the  price  which 
we  pay  for  them. 

"The  recollections  of  this  great  contest,  with  all  its  common 
traditions  of  glory,  of  sacrifices  and  of  blood,  will  be  the  bond 
of  harmony  and  enduring  affection  amongst  the  people,  pro- 
ducing unity  in  polic}^  fraternity  in  sentiment,  and  joint  effort 
in  war. 

"  Nor  have  the  material  sacrifices  of  the  past  year  been  made 
without  some  corresponding  benefits.  If  the  acquiescence  of 
foreign  nations  in  a  pretended  blockade  has  deprived  its  of 
our  commerce  with  them,  it  is  fast  making  us  a  self-supporting 
and  an  independent  people.  The  blockade,  if  effectual  and 
2:)ermanent,  could  only  serve  to  divert  our  industry  from  the 
production  of  articles  for  export,  and  employ  it  in  supplying 
commodities  for  domestic  use. 

"  It  is  a  satisfaction  that  we  have  maintained  the  war  by  our 
unaided  exertions.  We  have  neither  asked  nor  received  assist- 
ance from  any  quarter.  Yet  the  interest  involved  is  not 
wholly  our  own.  The  world  at  large  is  concerned  in  opening 
our  markets  to  its  commerce.  When  the  independence  of  the 
Confederates  States  is  recognized  by  the  nations  of  the  earth, 
and' we  are  free  to  follow  our  interests  and  inclinations  by  cul- 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  WAR.  32S 

tivating  foreign  trade,  the  Southern  States  will  offer  to  manu- 
facturing nations  tlie  most  favorable  markets  which  ever 
invited  tlieir  commerce.  Cotton,  sugar,  rice,  tobacco,  j^rovis- 
ions,  timber,  and  naval  stores  will  furnisli  attractive  exchanges. 
Nor  would  the  constancy  of  these  supplies  be  likely  to  be  dis- 
turbed by  war.  Our  confederate  strength  will  be  too  great  to 
attempt  aggression;  and  never  was  there  a  people  whose  inter- 
ests and  principles  committed  them  so  fully  to  a})cacefal  policy 
as  those  of  the  Confederate  States.  By  tho  character  of  their 
productions,  they  are  too  deeply  interested  in  foreign  com- 
merce wantonly  to  disturb  it.  War  of  conquest  they  cannot 
wage,  because  the  constitution  of  their  Confederacy  admits  of 
no  coerced  association.  Civil  war  there  cannot  be  between 
States  held  together  by  tlieir  volition  only.  This  rule  of  vol- 
untary association,  which  cannot  fail  to  be  conservative,  by 
securing  just  and  impartial  government  at  Lome,  does  not 
diminish  tlie  security  of  the  obligations  by  which  the  Confed- 
erate States  may  be  bound  to  foreign  nations.  In  proof  of 
this,  it  is  remembered  that,  at  the  first  moment  of  asserting 
their  right  of  secession,  these  States  proposed  a  settlement  on 
the  basis  of  a  common  liability  for  the  obligations  of  the  gen- 
eral government. 

"Fellow-citizens,  after  the  struggles  of  ages  had  consecrated 
the  right  of  the  Englishman  to  constitutional  representative 
government,  our  colonial  ancestors  were  forced  to  vindicate 
that  birthright  by  an  appeal  to' arms.  Success  crowned  their 
efforts,  and  they  provided  for  their  posterity  a  peaceful  remedy 
against  future  Aggression. 

"The  tyranny  of  an  unbridled  majorit}",  the  most  odious 
and  least  responsible  form  of  despotism,  has  denied  us-both 
the  right  and  the  remedy.  Therefore  we  are  in  arms  to  renew 
such  sacrifices  as  our  fathers  made  to  tlie  holy  cause  of  consti- 
tutional libert3^  At  the  darkest  hour  of  our  struggCe,  the 
provisional  gives  place  to  the  permanent  government.  After  a 
series  of  successes  and  victories,  which  covered  our  arms  with 
glory,  we  have  recently  met  with  serious  disasters.  But,  in 
the  heart  of  a  people  resolved  to  be  free,  these  disasters  tend 
but  to  stimulate  to  increased  resistance. 

"To  show  ourselves  worthy  of  the  inheritance  bequeathed 
to  us  by  the  patriots  of  the  Revolution,  we  must  emulate  that 
heroic  devotion  which  made  reverse  to  them  but  the  crucible 
in  which  their  patriotism  was  refined. 


324  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

""With  confidence  in  the  wisdom  and  virtue  of  those  who 
will  share  with  me  the  responsibility  and  aid  me  in  the  con- 
duct of  public  affairs;  securely  relying  on  the  patriotism  and 
courage  of  the  people,  of  which  the  present  war  has  furnished 
so  many  examples,  I  deeply  feel  the  weight  of  the  responsi- 
bilities I  now,  with  unaffected  diffidence,  am  about  to  assume; 
and,  fully  realizing  the  inadequacy  of  human  power  to  guide 
and  to  sustain,  my  hope  is  reverently  fixed  on  Him,  whose 
favor  is  ever  vouchsafed  to  the  cause  which  is  just,  "With 
humble  gratitude  and  adoration,  acl^nowledging  the  Provi- 
dence which  has  so  visibly  protected  the  Confederacy  during 
its  brief  but  eventful  career,  to  Thee,  0  God!  I  trustingly 
commit  mj'self,  and  prayerfully  invoke  Thy  blessing  on  my 
country  and  its  cause." 

"The  effect  of  this  address  upon  the  public  was  electrical. 
The  anxious  and  dispirited  assemblage,  which,  for  more  than 
an  hour  previous  to  the  arrival  of  the  President,  had  braved 
the  inclement  sky  and  traversed  the  almost  impassable  ave- 
nues of  capitol  square,  in  eager  longing  for  reassuring  words 
from  him  upon  whose  courage  and  will  so  much  depended, 
was  not  disappointed.  A  consciousness  of  a  burden  removed, 
of  doubts  dispelled,  of  the  reassured  feeling,  which  comes  with 
strengthened  conviction  that  confidence  has  not  been  mis- 
placed, animated  and  thrilled  the  crowd  as  it  caught  the  im- 
pressive tones  and  gestures  of  the  speaker.  In  the  memory  of 
every  beholder  must  forever  dwell  the  imposing  presence  of 
Mr.  Davis,  as,  with  uplifted  hands,  he  pronounced  the  beau- 
tiful and  appro^jriate  petition  to  Providence,  which  forms  the 
peroration." 

"Without  going  into  the  details  we  may  say,  in  general,  that 
Mr.  Davis  gave  his  personal  attention  to  all  of  the  departments 
of  government ;  that  he  did  everything  in  his  power  to  provide 
for  the  exigencies  of  the  public  service,  and  that  he  did  every- 
thing that  ability,  zeal,  and  self-sacrificing  patriotism  could  do 
to  promote  the  success  of  the  Confederate  cause. 


7)l.  V 


THREE  YEARS  OF  CARNAGE. 

Our  space  does  not  permit  us  to  tell  the  story  of  the  Con- 
federate disasters  of  the  early  part  of  18G2,  in  the  capture  of 
Roanoke  Island,  New  Orleans,  Fort  Henry,  Fort  Donelson,  &c., 
nor  of  how  Stonewall  Jackson  electrified  the  Confederacy  with 
his  laconic  dispatch,  "  God  blessed  our  arms  with  victory  at 
McDowell  yesterday,"  and  startled  and  alarmed  the  North  by 
his  brilliant  "  A^'alley  campaign." 

Nor  can  we  detail  the  story  of  Lee's  splendid  victories  in 
the  "Seven  days'  battles,"  which  raised  the  siege  of  Richmond, 
forced  McClellan  to  the  protection  of  his  gunboats,  transferred 
the  seat  of  war  to  Northern  Virginia,  M'hcre  he  won  on  the 
plains  of  Manassas  a  victory  which  effectually  dismounted 
"  Headquarters  in  the  saddle,"  and  enabled  the  Confederates 
to  cross  into  IMaryland,  capture  Harper's  Ferry,  fight  the 
drawn  battle  of  Sharpsburg,  and  close  the  campaign  with  the 
crushing  dereat  of  Burnside  at  Fredericksburg,  the  13th  of 
December,  1SG2. 

Nor  can  we  tell  of  how  that  superb  soldier  and  stainless 
gentleman,  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  to  whom  Mr.  Davis  clung 
despite  of  disasters  and  severe  criticism,  gathered  together  his 
scattered  forces  and  won  at  Shiloh  a  victory  which  would 
unquestionably  have  resulted  in  the  destruction  or  capture  cf 
Grant's  whole  army,  had  not  our  peerless  leader  been  stricken 
down  in  the  full  tide  of  victory. 

Nor  can  we  tell  of  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg,  Vicksburg, 
Chickamauga,    The    Wilderness,    Spotsylvania    Court-house, 

1323J 


838  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Cold  Harbor,  Dalton,  Atlanta,  Petersburg,  and  hundreds  of 
other  hard-fought  fields  which  illustrated  American  heroism, 
but  in  which  General  Grant's  famous  policy  of  "  attrition  "  was 
finally  successful,  and  the  Confederates  were  starved  into  the 
final  result  of  Appomattox  and  Greensboro. 

Nor  can  we  tell  in  full  how  grandly  our  noble  chief  bore 
himself  amid  all  of  these  changing  fortunes.  We  can  only 
give  a  few  illustrations  of  his  life  and  character  during  these 
eventful  years. 

General  Richard  Taylor  gave  the  following  incident  which 
illustrates  President  Davis's  methods  of  making  his  appoint- 
ments : 

"  On  the  eve  of  returning  to  the  army  I  learned  of  ray  pro- 
motion to  brigadier,  to  relieve  General  Walker,  transferred  to 
a  brigade  of  Georgians.  This  promotion  seriously  embarrassad 
me.  Of  the  four  colonels  whose  regiments  constituted  the 
brigade,  I  was  the  junior  in  commission,  and  the  other  three 
had  been  present  and  -'won  their  spurs'  at  the  recent  battle,  so 
far  the  only  important  one  of  the  war.  Besides,  my  known 
friendship  for  President  Davis,  with  whom  I  was  connected  by 
his  first  marriage  with  my  elder  sister,  would  justify  the  opin- 
ion that  my  promotion  was  due  to  favoritism.  Arrived  at 
headquarters  I  obtained  leave  to  go  to  Richmond  where,  after 
an  affectionate  reception,  the  President  listened  to  the  story  of 
my  feelings,  the  reasons  on  which  they  were  based,  and  the 
request  that  the  promotion  should  be  revoked.  He  replied 
that  he  would  take  a  day  for  reflection  before  deciding  the 
matter.  Tht  following  day  I  was  told  that  the  answer  to  my 
appeal  would  be  forwarded  to  the  army,  to  which  I  imme- 
diately returned.  The  President  had  employed  the  day  in 
writing  a  letter  to  the  senior  officers  of  the  brigade,  in  which 
lie  began  by  stating  that  promotions  to  the  grade  of  general 
officer  were  by  law  intrusted  to  him,  and  were  made  for  con- 
siderations of  public  good,  of  which  he  alone  was  judge.  He 
then  out  of  abundant  kindness  to  me  went  on  to  soothe  the 
feelings  of  these  officers  with  a  tenderness  and  delicacy  of 
touch  worthy  a  woman's  hand,  and  so  effectually  as  to  secure 
me  their  hearty  support.     No  wonder  that  all  who  enjoy  the 


TTIBEE  YEAES  OF  CARNAGE.  227 

friendship    of    Jefferscn    Davis   love   him    as   Jonathan    did 
David." 

The  Pvaleigli  News  and  Observer  gives  the  following : 

"In  tlie  early  summer  of  18G2,  he  was  asked  to  confer  on 
some  Korth  Carolinian  the  appointment  of  brigadier-general. 
He  was  i)ressed  to  make  a  political  appointment.  It  was  said 
that  public  considerations  required  tliat  an  appointment  of 
tliat  character  should  be  made.  Mr.  Davis  was  on  the  battle- 
field and  saw  the  admirable  conduct  of  Colonel  Pender.  He 
assented  to  the  request  to  make  an  appointment  for  North  Caro- 
lina; but  despite  tJie  great  political  pressure  put  upon  him,  he 
conferred  the  honor  on  the  3'oung  colonel,  who  thus  became 
the  youngest  brigadier,  at  the  time,  in  the  service.  President 
Davis  made  no  mistake  in  adhering  to  his  own  judgment  in 
that  instance.  Pender  more  nearly  approached  Jackson  than 
any  other  of  General  Lee's  lieutenants." 

The  friendship  between  Mr.  Davis  and  General  Albert  Sid- 
ney Johnston  was  very  tender,  but  the  firmness- with  -which  he 
resisted  every  effort  to  have  Johnston  removed  after  the  di-as- 
ters  at  Henry  and  Donelson — saying,  to  an  able  and  influential 
delegation  who  were  urging  a  change:  "If  Albert  Sidney 
Johnston  is  not  a  general,  then  the  Confederacy  has  none  to 
give  you" — showed  his  sound  judgment  as  well  as  his  adhe- 
sion to  the  ri^ht. 

He  wrote  General  Johnston  at  this  time  the  following  letter: 

"Richmond,  Va.,  March  12,  1SG2. 
"il/^  Dear  General — The  departure  of  Captain  "Wickliffe  offers 
an  opportunity,  of  which  I  avail  myself  to  write  you  an 
unofficial  letter.  We  have  suffered  great  anxiety  because  of 
recent  events  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee;  and  I  have  been 
not  a  little  disturbed  by  the  repetitions  of  reflections  upon 
yourself.  I  expected  you  to  have  made  a  full  report  of  events 
precedent  and  consequent  to  the  fall  of  Fort  Donelson.  In 
the  meantime  I  made  for  you  such  defense  as  friendship 
prompted  and  many  years  of  acquaintance  justified  ;  but  I 
needed  facts  to  rebut  the  wholesale  assertions  made  against  you. 
to  cover  others  and  to  condemn  my  administration.     The  pub- 


328  THE  DA  VIS  MEMOBTA  L  VOL  UMK 

lie,  as  YOU  are  aware,  have  no  correct  measure  for  military 
operations;  and  the  journals  are  very  reckless  in  their  state- 
ments. 

"Your  force  has  been  magnified,  and  the  movements  of  on 
army  have  been  measured  by  the  capacity  for  locomotion  of 
an  individual. 

"  The  readiness  of  the  people  among  whom  j'ou  are  operat- 
ing to  aid  you  in  every  method  has  been  constantly  asserted; 
the  purpose  of  3'our  army  at  Bowling  Greenwholly  misunder- 
stood ;  and  the  absence  of  an  effective  force  at  Nashville 
ignored.  You  have  been  held  responsible  for  the  fall  of 
Donclson  and  the  capture  of  Nashville.  It  is  charged  that  no 
effort  was  made  to  save  the  stores  at  Nashville,  and  that  the 
panic  of  the  people  was  caused  by  the  army. 

"  Such  representations,  with  the  sad  forebodings  naturally 
belonging  to  them,  have  been  painful  to  me,  and  injurious  to 
us  both ;  but,  worse  than  this,  they  have  undermined  public 
confidence,  and  damaged  our  cause.  A  full  development  of 
the  truth  is  necessary  for  future  success. 

"  I  respect  the  generosity  which  has  kept  you  silent,  but 
would  i'iipress  upon  you  that  the  question  is  not  personal  but 
public  in  its  nature;  that  you  and  I  might  be  content  to 
suffer,  but  neither  of  us  can  willingly  permit  detriment  to  the 
country.  As  soon  as  circumstances  will  permit,  it  is  my  pur- 
pose to  visit  the  field  of  3'our  present  operations;  not  that  I 
should  expect  to  give  3'ou  any  aid  in  the  discharge  of  your 
duties  as  a  commander,  but  with  the  hope  that  my  position 
would  enable  me  to  effect  something  in  bringing  men  to  j^our 
standard.  With  a  sufficient  force,  the  audacity  which  the 
enemy  exhibits  would  no  doubt  give  you  the  opportunity  to 
cut  some  of  his  lines  of  communication,  to  break  up  his  ]»lan 
of  campaign;  and,  defeating  some  of  his  columns,  to  drive 
him  from  the  soil  as  well  of  Kentucky  as  of  Tennessee. 

""We  are  deficient  in  arms,  Vv'anting  in  discipline,  and 
inferior  in  numbers.  Private  arms  must  supply  the  first  want ; 
time  and  the  presence  of  an  enemy,  with  diligence  on  the  j^art 
of  commanders,  will  remove  the  second  ;  and  public  confi- 
dence will  overcome  the  third.  General  Bragg  brings  you  dis- 
ciplined troops,  and  you  will  find  in  him  the  highest  adminis- 
trative capacity.  General  E.  Iv.  Smith  will  soon  have  in  East 
Tennessee  a  sufiicient  force  to  create  a  strong  diversion  in 


THREE  YEARS  OF  CARNAGE.  «29 

your  favor ;  or,  if  his  strength  cannot  he  made  available  in 
that  way,  you  will  best  know  how  to  employ  it  otherwise.  I 
suppose  the  Tennessee  or  Mississippi  river  will  be  the  object  of 
the  enemy's  next  campaign,  and  I  trust  you  will  be  able  to 
concentrate  a  force  which  will  defeat  either  attempt. 

"  The  fleet  which  you  will  soon  have  on  the  Mississippi 
river,  if  the  enemy's  gunboats  ascend  the  Tennessee,  may 
enable  3'ou  to  strike  an  effective  blow  at  Cairo  ;  but,  to  one  so 
well  informed  and  vigilant,  I  will  not  assume  to  offer  sugges- 
tions as  to  when  and  how  the  ends  you  seek  may  be  attained. 
With  the  confidence  and  regard  of  many  years,  I  am  very 
truly  your  friend,  Jefferson  Davis." 

In  reply.  General  Johnston  wrote  him  the  famous  letter  of 
March  18th,  1862,  in  which  he  detailed  the  events  which  had 
culminated  in  the  disasters  of  Henry  and  Donelson,  ably  vin- 
dicated himself  from  the  charges  that  had  been  made  against 
him,  and  concluded  by  saying:  "The  test  of  merit,  in  my  pro- 
fession, with  the  people,  is  success.  It  is  a  hard  rule,  but  I 
think  it  right.  If  I  join  this  corps  to  the  forces  of  Beauregard 
(I  confess  a  hazardous  experiment),  then  those  who  are  now 
declaiming  against  me  will  be  without  an  argument." 

Colonel  T.  ]\I.  Jack,  in  a  letter  addressed  to  Colonel  Wm. 
Preston  Johnston  in  1877,  gives  a  graphic  account  of  the 
circumstances  under  which  President  Davis  received  this 
letter':  ^ 

*'  Just  before  the  battle  of  Shiloh  5''our  father  sent  me  to 
Richmond,  as  bearer  of  dispatches  to  President  Davis.  Among 
these  dispatches  was  the  celebrated  letter  in  which  success  is 
recognized  as  the  test  of  merit  in  the  soldier.  My  duties,  of 
course,  were  merely  executive  to  deliver  the  dispatches  in  per- 
son and  return  with  the  answers  quietly  and  promj:)tly. 

"  Arriving  at  Richmond,  and  announcing  my  business  to 
the  proper  officer,  I  was  at  once  shown  into  the  office  of  Mr.  Davis 
and  presented  to  him.  I  had  never  before  met  the  President 
of  the  Confederacy'.  Ho  received  me  with  courtesy,  even  with 
kindness,  asking  mo  at  once,  *  How  is  your  general,  my  friend 
General  Johnston  ? '     There  was  an  earnestness  in  the  ques- 


330  THE  DAVIS  MEMOBIAL  VOLUME, 

tion  which  could  not  be  misunderstood.  Replying  briefly,  I 
handed  him  my  dispatches  which  he  was  in  the  act  of  opening, 
when  an  officer  entered  the  room,  to  whom  the  President  pre- 
sented me  as  General  Lee.  This  was  my  first  meeting  with 
him  also,  and  the  last.  He  had  not  then  attained  the  full 
measure  of  his  fame.  He  was  not  asj^ettheidol  of  the  South- 
ern people.  These  things  came  afterwards,  with  the  recogni- 
tion by  all  fair-minded  Christendom  of  the  greatness  of  the 
Christian  chieftain.  There  was  something  fascinating  in  his 
presence.  His  manner  struck  me  as  dignified,  graceful  and 
easy.  He  seated  himself  by  my  side  at  the  window,  and 
engaged  me  in  conversation  about  the  movements  of  our  West- 
ern army,  while  the  President  read,  in  silence,  the  dispatches 
of  your  father.  These  two  historic  figures,  together  in  the 
capital  of  the  Confederacy, — the  one  chattingpleasantlywith  a 
young  and  unknown  officer,  the  other  engrossed  with  the  last 
formal  papers  of  the  ranking  general  in  the  field  of  the  Con- 
federate forces  after  their  retreat,  and  on  the  eve  of  a  pitched 
battle  on  chosen  ground, — fastened  themselves  on  the  canvas 
of  my  memory  in  bright  and  lasting  colors.  Listening  to  the 
pleasing  tones  of  the  general's  voice,  I  watched  at  the  same 
time,  with  eager  interest,  the  countenance  of  the  President,  as 
he  read  the  clear,  strong  and  frank  expression  of  his  old  friend 
and  comrade,  full  of  facts,  and  breathing  sentiments  of  the 
noblest  spirit.  There  was  softness  then  in  his  face;  and  as 
hise3'ewas  raised  from  the  paper,  there  seemed  a  tenderness  in 
its  expression,  bordering  on  tears,  surprising  and  pleasing  at 
that  critical  juncture  in  the  civil  and  military  leader  of  a  peo- 
ple inarms. 

"  Next  day  the  President  handed  me  his  dispatches,  which 
were  delivered  to  the  general  at  Corinth,  as  he  was  preparing 
for  the  field. 

"'How  did  the  President  receive  you?'  he  asked  in  a  play- 
ful way,  as  I  handed  him  the  dispatches.  '  As  the  aide-de- 
camp of  his  friend,'  was  my  response,  in  the  same  spirit;  after 
which  he  made  no  further  allusion  to  the  mission." 

The  following  was  the  reply  borne  to  General  Johnston  by 

Colonel  Jack: 

"Richmond,  Virginia,  March  26,  1862. 
"ili?/  Bear  General — Yours  of  the  18th  inst.  was  this  day 
delivered  to  me  by  your  aide,  Mr,  Jack,     I  have  read  it  with 


THREE  YEABS  OF  CARNAGE.  831 

much  satisfaction.  So  far  as  the  past  is  concerned,  it  but  con- 
firms the  conclusions  at  which  I  had  already  arrived.  My 
confidence  in  you  has  never  wavered,  and  I  hope  the  public 
will  soon  give  me  credit  for  judgment  rather  than  continue  to 
arraign  me  for  obstinacy. 

"  You  have  done  wonderfully  well,  and  now  I  breathe  easier 
in  the  assurance  that  you  will  be  able  to  make  a  junction  of 
your  two  armies.  If  you  can  meet  the  division  of  the  enemy 
moving  from  the  Tennessee  before  it  can  make  a  junction  with 
that  advancing  from  Nashville,  the  future  will  be  brighter.  If 
this  cannot  be  done,  our  only  hope  is  that  the  peo})le  of  the 
Southwest  will  rally  en  masse  with  their  private  arms,  and 
thus  enable  you  to  oppose  the  vast  army  which  will  threaten 
the  destruction  of  our  country. 

-  "  I  have  hoped  to  be  able  to  leave  here  for  a  short  time,  and 
would  be  much  gratified  to  confer  with  you,  and  share  your 
responsibilities.  I  might  aid  you  in  dDtaining  troops;  no  one 
could  hope  to  do  more  unless  he  underrated  your  military 
capacity.  I  write  in  great  haste,  and  feel  that  it  would  be 
worse  than  useless  to  point  out  to  you  how  much  depends 
upon  you. 

"  May  God  bless  you  is  the  sincere  prayer  of  your  friend, 

"Jefferson  Davis." 

The  battle  of  Shiloh  gloriously  vindicated  General  John- 
ston, and  thef  obstinacy"  of  President  Davis,  in  refusing  to 
yield  to  popular  clamor  and  remove  him  from  command. 

On  receiving  the  news  from  Shiloh,  President  Davis  sent 
the  following  message  to  Congress: 

"  To  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives, of  the  Confederate 
States  of  America: 

"The  great  importance  of  the  new^s  just  received  from  Ten= 
nessee  induces  me  to  depart  from  the  established  usages,  and 
to  make  to  you  this  communication  in  advance  of  official 
reports.  From  official  telegraphic  dispatches,  received  from 
official  sources,  I  am  able  to  announce  to  j^ou,  with  entire  con- 
fidence, that  it  has  pleased  Almighty  God  to  crown  the  Con~ 
federate  arms  with  a  glorious  and  decisive  victory  over  our 
invaders. 


m  THJ3  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  "OLUMB. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  6th  the  converging  columns  of  our 
army  were  combined  by  its  commander-in-chief,  General  Albert 
Sidney  Johnston,  in  an  assault  on  the  Federal  army,  then  en- 
camped near  Pittsburg,  on  the  Tennessee  river. 

"After  a  hard-fought  battle  of  ten  hours,  the  enemy  was 
driven  in  disorder  from  his  position,  and  pursued  to  the  Ten- 
nessee river,  where,  under  the  cover  of  the  gunboats,  he  was  at 
the  last  accounts  endeavoring  to  effect  his  retreat  by  aid  of  his 
transports.  The  details  of  this  great  battle  are  yet  too  few  and 
incomplete  to  enable  me  to  distinguish  with  merited  praise 
all  of  those  who  may  have  conspicuously  earned  the  right  to 
such  distinction,  and  I  prefer  to  delay  our  own  gratification  in 
recommending  them  to  your  special  notice,  rather  than  incur 
the  risk  of  wounding  the  feelings  of  any  by  failing  to  include 
them  in  the  list.  When  such  a  victory  has  been  won  over 
troops  as  numerous,  well  disciplined,  armed,  and  appointed, 
as  those  which  have  been  so  signally  routed,  we  may  well  con- 
clude that  one  common  spirit  of  unflinching  bravery  and  devo- 
tion to  our  country's  cause  must  have  animated  every  breast 
from  that  of  the  commanding  general  to  that  of  the  humblest 
patriot  who  served  in  the  ranks.  There  is  enough  in  the  con- 
tinued presence  of  invaders  on  our  soil  to  chasten  our  exultation 
over  this  brilliant  success,  and  to  remind  us  of  the  grave  duty 
of  continued  exertion  until  we  shall  extort  from  a  proud  and 
vain  glorious  enemy  the  reluctant  acknowledgment  of  our 
right  to  self-government. 

"  But  an  all-wise  Creator  has  been  pleased,  while  vouchsaf- 
ing to  us  his  countenance  in  battle,  to  afflict  us  with  a  severe 
dispensation,  to  which  wo  must  bow  in  humble  submission. 
The  last,  long,  lingering  hope  has  disappeared,  and  it  is  but 
too  true  that  General  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  is  no  more. 
The  tale  of  his  death  is  simply  narrated  in  a  dispatch  from 
Colonel  William  Preston  in  the  following  words: 

"  'General  Johnston  fell  yesterday,  at  half-past  two  o'clocJi, 
while  leading  a  successful  charge,  turning  the  enemy's  right 
and  gaining  a  brillant  victory.  A  minie-ball  cut  the  artery 
of  his  leg,  but  he  rode  on  until,  from  loss  of  blood,  he  fell 
exhausted,  and  died  without  pain  in  a  few  moments.  Ilis 
body  has  been  entrusted  to  me  by  General  Beauregard,  to  be 
taken  to  New  Orleans,  and  remain  until  instructions  are 
received  from  his  familv.' 


TRRFE  YEARS  OF  CARNAOE.  3S3 

"  }>ly  long  and  close  friendship  with  this  departed  chieftain 
and  patriot  forbid  me  to  trust  myself  in  givinfr  vent  to  the 
feelings  which  this  intelligence  has  evoked.  "Without  doing 
injustice  to  the  living,  it  may  safely  be  said  that  our  loss  is 
irreparable.  Among  the  shining  hosts  of  the  great  and  good, 
Avho  now  cluster  around  the  banner  of  our  country,  tliere 
exists  no  purer  spirit,  no  more  heroic  soul,  than  that  of  the 
illustrious  man  whose  death  I  join  you  in  lamenting. 

"  In  his  death  he  has  illustrated  the  character  for  which 
through  life  he  was  conspicuous — that  of  singleness  of  pur- 
pose and  devotion  to  duty  with  his  whole  energies.  Bent  on 
obtaining  the  victory,  which  he  deemed  essential  to  his  coun- 
try's cause,  he  rode  on  to  the  accomplishment  of  his  object, 
forgetful  of  self,  while  his  very  life-blood  was  fast  ebbing  away. 
His  last  breath  cheered  his  comrades  on  to  victory.  The  last 
sound  he  heard  was  their  shout  of  victory.  His  last  thought 
was  his  country,  and  long  and  deeply  'will  his  country  mourn 
his  loss.  Jefferson  Davis." 

Very  similar  to  his  friendship  for  Albert  Sidney  Johnston 
and  his  clinging  to  him  when  there  was  a  cruel  outcry  against 
him,  Vv^as  his  unwavering  friendship  for  and  confidence  in 
Robert  E.  Lee,  when,  after  his  West  Virginia  campaign,  he 
was  so  severely  censured  by  the  newspapers,  and  the  feeling 
against  him  was  so  strong  that  nearly  all  of  the  officers  on  the 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia  sea  coast  signed  a  protest  against 
his  being  placed  in  that  important  command.  ^ 

The  following  correspondence  between  General  Lee  and  the 
President  after  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  is  honorable  alike  to 
both : 

Camp  Orange,  August  8th,  1863. 
'*  il/i.  President. — Your  letters  of  July  2Sth  and  August  2d 
have  been  received,  and  I  have  waited  for  a  leisure  hour  to 
reply,  but  i  fear  that  will  never  come.  I  am  extremely  obliged 
to  you  for  the  attention  given  to  the  wants  of  this  army,  and 
the  efforts  made  to  supply  them.  Our  absentees  are  return- 
ing, and  I  hope  the  earnest  and  beautiful  appeal  made  to  the 
UDuntry  in  your  proclamation  may  stir  up  the  whole   people, 


334  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

and  that  they  may  see  their  duty  and  perform  it.  Nothing  is 
wanted  but  that  their  fortitude  should  equal  their  bravery  to 
insure  the  success  of  our  cause.  "We  must  expect  reverses ; 
even  defeats.  They  are  sent  to  teach  us  wisdom  and  prudence, 
to  call  forth  greater  energies,  and  to  prevent  our  falling  into 
greater  disasters.  Our  people  have  only  to  be  true  and  uni- 
ted, to  bear  manfully  the  misfortunes  incident  to  war,  and  all 
will  come  right  in  the  end. 

"  I  know  how  prone  we  are  to  censure,  and  how  ready  to 
blame  others  for  the  non-fulfillment  of  our  expectations.  This 
is  unbecoming  in  a  generous  people,  and  I  grieve  to  see  its 
expression.  The  general  remedy  for  the  want  of  success  in  a 
military  commander  is  his  removal.  This  is  natural,  and  in 
many  instances  proper;  for  no  matter  what  may  be  the  abil- 
ity of  the  officer,  if  he  loses  the  confidence  of  his  troops,  dis- 
aster must  sooner  or  later  ensue. 

"  I  have  been  prompted  by  these  reflections  more  than  once 
since  my  return  from  Pennsylvania  to  propose  to  your  Excel- 
lency the  propriety  of  selecting  another  commander  for  this 
army.  I  have  seen  and  heard  of  expressions  of  discontent 
in  the  public  journals  as  to  the  result  of  the  expedition.  I 
do  not  know  how  far  this  feeling  extends  in  the  army.  ]\Iy 
brother  officers  have  been  too  kind  to  report  it,  and  so 
far,  the  troops  have  been  too  generous  to  exhibit  it.  It  is 
fair,  however,  to  suppose  that  it  does  exist  and  success  is  so 
necessary  to  us  that  nothing  should  be  risked  to  secure  it.  I, 
therefore,  in  all  sincerity,  request  your  Excellency  to  take 
measures  to  supply  my  place.  I  do  this  with  the  more 
earnestness,  because  no  one  is  more  aware  than  myself  of  my 
inability  for  the  duties  of  my  position.  I  cannot  even  accom- 
plish what  I  myself  desire.  How  can  I  fulfill  the  expectations 
of  others?  In  addition  I  sensibly  feel  the  growing  failure  of 
my  bodily  strength.  I  have  not  yet  recovered  from  the  attack 
I  experienced  the  past  spring.  I  am  becoming  more  and  more 
incapable  of  exertion,  and  am  thus  prevented  from  making 
the  personal  examination  and  giving  the  personal  supervision 
to  the  operations  in  the  field  which  I  feel  to  be  necessary.  I 
am  so  dull  that  in  making  use  of  the  eyes  of  others  I  am  fre- 
quently misled.  Everything,  therefore,  points  to  the  advan- 
tages to  be  derived  from  a  new  commander,  and  I  the  more 
anxiously  urge   the   matter   upon   your  Excellency  from  my 


THREE  YEARS  OF  CARNAGE,  33-5 

belief  that  a  younger  and  abler  man  than  myself  can  readily 
be  obtained.  I  know  that  he  will  have  as  gallant  and  brave 
an  army  as  ever  existed  to  second  his  efforts,  and  it  would  be 
the  happiest  day  of  my  life  to'see  at  its  head  a  worthy  leader — 
one  that  would  accomplish  more  than  I  could  perform  and  all 
that  I  have  wished.  I  hope  your  Excellency  will  attribute  my 
request  to  the  true  reason — the  desire  to  serve  my  country  and 
to  do  all  in  my  power  to  insure  the  success  of  her  righteous 
cause. 

"  I  have  no  complaints  to  make  of  any  one  but  myself  I 
have  received  nothing  but  kindness  from  those  above  me,  and 
the  most  considerate  attentions  from  my  comrades  and  com- 
panions in  arms.  To  your  Excellency  I  am  especially  in- 
debted for  uniform  kindness  and  consideration.  You  have 
done  everything  in  your  power  to  aid  me  in  the  work  com- 
mitted to  my  charge  without  omitting  anything  to  promote 
the  general  welfare.  I  pray  that  j'otir  efforts  may  at  length 
be  crowned  with. success,  and  that  you  may  long  live  to  enjoy 
the  thanks  of  a  grateful  people. 

"  With  sentiments  of  great  esteem,  I  am  very  respectfully 
and  truly  yours, 

"E.  E.  Lee,   General. 

"  His  Excellency  Jefferson  Davis, 

'^  President  of  Confederate  States." 

'  "Richmond,  Va.,  August  11,  1863. 

"  General  B.  E.  Lee,  Commanding  Army  of  Northern  Virginia : 

"  Yours  of  the  8th  instant  has  just  been  received.  I  am 
glad  that  you  concur  so  entirely  with  me  as  to  th«  wants  of 
our  country  in  this  trying  hour,  and  am  happy  to  add  that 
after  the  first  depression  consequent  upon  our  disasters  in  tlie 
West  indications  have  appeared  that  our  people  will  exhibit 
that  fortitude  which  we  agree  in  believing  is  alone  needful  to 
secure  ultimate  success. 

"It  w^ell  became  Sidney  Johnston,  when  overwhelmed  by  a 
senseless  clamor,  to  admit  the  rule  that  success  is  the  test  of 
merit;  and  yet  there  has  been  nothing  which  I  have  found  to 
require  a  greater  effort  of  patience  than  to  bear  the  criticisms 
of  the  ignorant,  who  pronounce  everything  a  fnilure  which 
does  not  equal  their  expectations  or  desires,  and  can  see  no 
good  result  which  is  not  in  the  line  of  their  own  imaginings. 


338  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

I  admit  the  propriety  of  your  conclusions  that  an  officer  who 
loses  the  confidence  of  his  troops  should  have  his  position 
changed,  whatever  may  be  his  ability;  but  when  I  read  the 
sentence  I  was  not  at  all  prepared  for  the  application  you  were 
about  to  make.  Expressions  of  discontent  in  the  public  jour- 
nals furnish  but  little  evidence  of  the  sentiment  of  the  army, 
I  wish  it  were  otherwise,  even  though  all  the  abuse  of  myself 
should  be  accepted  as  the  results  of  honest  observation, 

"  Were  you  capable  of  stooping  to  it,  j^ou  could  easily  surround 
yourself  with  those  who  would  fill  the  press  with  your  lauda- 
tions, and  seek  to  exalt  you  for  what  you  had  not  done,  rather 
than  detract  from  the  achievements  which  will  make  you  and 
your  army  the  subject  of  history  and  object  of  the  world's 
admiration  for  generations  to  come. 

"  I  am  truly  sorry  to  know  that  you  still  feel  the  effects  of 
the  illness  yousuff"ered  last  spring,  and  can  readily  understand 
the  embarrassments  you  experience  in  using  the  eyes  of  others, 
having  been  so  much  accustomed  to  make  your  own  recon- 
noissances.  Practice  will,  however,  do  much  to  relieve  that 
embarrassment,  and  the  minute  knowledge  of  the  country 
which  you  had  acquired  will  render  you  less  dependent  for 
topographical  information. 

"  But  suppose,  my  dear  friend,  that  I  were  to  admit,  with 
all  their  implications,  the  points  which  3'ou  present,  where  am 
I  to  find  that  new  commander  who  is  to  possess  the  greater 
ability  which  you  believe  to  be  required  ?  I  do  not  doubt  the 
readiness  with  which  you  would  give  way  to  one  who  could 
accomplish  all  that  5'ou  have  wished,  and  you  will  do  me  the 
justice  to  believe  that  if  Providence  should  kindly  offer  such  a 
person  for  our  use  I  would  not  hesitate  to  avail  [myself]  ot  his 
services. 

"My  sight  is  not  sufficiently  penetrating  to  discover  such 
hidden  merit,  if  it  exists,  and  I  have  but  used  to  you  the  lan- 
guage of  sober  earnestness,  when  I  have  impressed  upon  you 
the  propriety  of  avoiding  all  unnecessary  exposure  to  danger, 
because  I  felt  our  country  could  not  bear  to  lose  you.  To 
ask  me  to  substitute  you  by  some  one  in  my  judgment 
more  fit  to  command,  or  who  would  possess  more  of  the  con- 
fidence of  the  army,  or  of  the  reflecting  men  of  the  country, 
is  to  demand  an  impossibility. 

*'  It  only  remains  for  me  to  hope  that  you  will  take  all  pes- 


THREE  YE  Alls  OP  CAHNAOE.  S37 

sible  care  of  yourself,  that  your  health  and  strength  may  be 
entirely  restored,  and  that  the  Lord  Mill  preserve  you  for  the 
important  duties  devolved  upon  you  in  the  struggle  ot  our  suf- 
fering country  for  the  independence  of  which  we  have  engaged 
in  war  to  maintain.     As  ever,  very  respectfully  and  truly,   , 

"Jeff'x  Davis." 

We  do  not  know  how  wx  can  better  illustrate  the  life  and 
character  of  this  great  man  during  this  eventful  period  than 
by  giving  the  recollections  of  him  of  men  who  w^ere  in  posi- 
tion to  see  and  know  him  intimately. 

RECOLLECTIONS    OF   UNITED    STATES    SENATOR   JOHN   H.    REAGAN, 
FORMER    CONFEDERATE   POSTMASTER-GENERAL. 

The  following  from  the  Baltimore  Sun  will  be  found  of  great 

interest  and  value : 

"  Washington,  December  G. 
'  Senator  Keagan,  of  Texas,  who  was  Postmaster-General  of 
the  Southern  Confederac}',  was  seated  in  his  comfortable 
library  on  P  street  when  a  representative  of  the  Sun  was 
announced.  The  Senator  had  before  him  several  letters 
which  he  had  recently  received  from  Mr,  Davis.  He  said 
that  Mr.  Davis  had  been  so  generally  misunderstood  that  any- 
thing said  iii( his  behalf  might  be  subjected  to  the  same  mis- 
construction. The  public  had  the  impression  that  Mr.  Davis 
was  an  austere  and  arbitrary  man,  when  just  the  reverse  "^'as 
the  case.  He  had  two  characters — one  fur  public  affairs  and 
one  for  his  personal  and  private  relations.  He  was  not  hasty 
at  forming  conclusions,  and  was  ever  ready  to  receive  sugges- 
tions from  his  friends  and  political  advisers.  'I  remember 
well  the  first  cabinet  meeting  I  attended,'  said  the  Senator. 
'  Mr.  Davis  then  informed  his  advisers  that  he  wanted  us  to 
be  as  frank  with  him  as  he  would  be  with  us.'  In  the  prepara- 
tion of  his  messages  to  Congress  he  invited  the  fullest  and 
freest  discussion  of  the  subjects  treated.  I  remember  well  one 
of  his  favorite  remnrks,  and  that  was,  'if  a  paper  can't  stand 
the  criticism  of  its  friends  it  will  be  in  a  ba<l  way  when  it  gets 
into  the  hands  of  its  enemies.'  I  have  always  remembered 
that  remark,  because  it  has  frequently  been  my  guide  in  mat- 
ters of  legislation- 
22 


S38  TBE  DAVIS  3fEM0RIAL  VOLUME. 

"  In  the  organization  of  the  various  departments  under  the 
Confederacy  Mr.  Davis  at  one  of  the  cabinet  meetings  informed 
us  tliat  we  would  be  called  upon  to  select  the  men  whom  we 
needed  to  assist  us  and  he  would  appoint  them.  But  he 
impressed  upon  us  the  fact  that  we  would  be  held  responsible 
for  the  conduct  and  efficiency  of  the  appointees.  Mr.  Davis 
was  a  civil-service  relormer  in  a  certain  sense,  but  not  in  the 
sense  of  the  present  administration  of  the  law,  on  that  subject. 
He  was  firm  in  his  conclusions  and  patient  in  his  investiga- 
tions. In  his  domestic  life  he  was  amiable  and  gentle,  but  in 
official  life  he  knew  no  word  but  duty.  I  remember  very  well 
our  last  formal  cabinet  meeting.  It  was  after  we  had  left 
Richmond  and  were  traveling  through  the  southern  portion 
of  North  Carolina.  I  believe  it  was  just  near  the  border  of 
the  two  States,  Kortli  and  South  Carolina.  It  was  under  a 
big  pine  tree  that  we  stopped  to  take  some  lunch.  Mr.  Tren- 
holm,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  was  absent.  He  had 
been  taken  sick  at  Charlotte,  and  after  trying  to  keep  up  with 
us  for  about  twenty  miles  he  gave  out  and  tendered  his  resig- 
nation. The  resignation  of  Mr.  Trenholm  was  discussed,  and 
it  was  finally  accepted,  and  I  was  selected  to  take  charge  of 
his  office  in  conjunction  with  that  of  Postmaster-General.  I 
remember  on  that  occasion  Mr.  Davis  said,  when  I  requested 
to  be  relieved  from  that  additional  duty:  *  You  can  look  after 
that  without  much  trouble.  We  have  concluded  that  there 
is  not  much  for  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to  do,  and  there 
is  but  little  money  left  for  him  to  steal.'  That  was  sometime 
in  April,  1865. 

"  Sometime  after  that  George  Davis,  the  Attorney-General, 
asked  Mr.  Davis's  advice  about  retiring  from  the  cabinet. 
The  Attorney-General  said  he  wanted  to  stand  by  the  Confed- 
eracy, but  his  family  and  his  property  were  at  Wilmington, 
and  he  was  in  doubt  as  to  where  his  duty  called  him.  '  By 
the  side  of  your  family,'  promptly  responded  Mr.  Davis. 
After  the  Attorney-General  left  us  there  were  only  four  mem- 
bers of  the  cabinet  left  to  continue  the  journey  to  Washing- 
ton, Ga.,  which  was  our  destination.  There  was  Breckinridge, 
Secretary  of  War;  Benjamin,  Secretary  of  State;  Mallory, 
Secretary  of  the  Nav}^  and  myself.  We  put  up  at  Abbeville, 
S.  C,  for  the  night  because  we  were  informed  that  a  lot  of 
Yankee  cavalry  were  in  Washington,  Ga.     At  that  point  Ben- 


tbheb  teahs  op  carnage.  ssft 

jamin  said  he  proposed  to  leave  the  country  and  get  as  far 
away  from  the  United  States  as  possible.  Mr.  Davis  asked 
him  how  he  proposed  to  get  down  to  the  coast,  *  Oh/  replied 
Benjamin, 'there  is  a  distinguished  Frenchman  wiiose  name 
and  initials  are  the  same  as  mine,  and  as  I  can  talk  a  little 
French  I  propose  to  pass  myself  off  as  tlie  French  Benjamin.' 

"  AVhile  passing  through  South  Carolina  I  was  particularly 
struck  with  Mr.  Davis's  generosity.  We  were  passing  a  little 
cabin  on  the  road,  and  we  stopped  to  get  a  drink  ot  water.  A 
woman,  poorly  clad,  came  out  to  serve  us.  She  recognized 
Mr.  Davis  and  informed  him  that  her  only  son  was  named 
after  him.  It  was  a  vefj  warm  day,  and  the  cool  water  was 
very  refreshing.  Mr.  Davis  took  from  his  pocket  the  last  piece 
of  coin  he  possessed,  and  gave  it  to  the  w^oman  and  told  her 
to  give  it  to  his  namesake.  At  our  next  stopping  place  we 
compared  our  cash  accounts,  and  Mr.  Davis  had  a  few  Con- 
federate notes,  which  was  every  centAof  money  he  possessed  in 
this  world. 

"  Senator  Reagan  did  not  see  ]\Ir.  Davis  again  until  after 
the  Democratic  convention  held  in  Baltimore  in  1872.  '  On 
ray  way  home,'  he  said,  *  I  met  him  in  Memphis.'  I  did  not 
see  him  again  until  about  two  years  ugo.  We  have  corres- 
ponded during  all  these  years,  and  only  three  weeks  ago  I 
received  a  long  letter  from  him  expressing  his  regret  that  he 
could  not  accept  my  invitation  for  him  to  visit  Washington 
this  winter  and  be  my  guest.'  Here  Senator  Reagan  exhibited 
a  number  of  letters  in  Mr.  Davis's  own  handwriting,  and  the 
writing  was  more  like  that  of  an  expert  correspondence  <3lerk 
than  like  that  of  an  old  gentleman  of  81.  In  one  of  the  let- 
ters Mr.  Davis,  after  thanking  Senator  Reagan  for  certain 
courtesies  and  several  congressional  documents,  referred  to  the 
Congressional  Directory,  and  observed  that  the  compiler  of  that 
book  in  reviewing  the  extension  of  the  Capitol  building  made 
no  mention  of  Jefferson  Davis,  although  the  latter  was  on  the 
committee  that  prepared  the  bill  and  advocated  its  passage. 
He  also  corrects  a  general  error  with  reference  to  the  statue  on 
the  dome  of  the  Capitol.  He  says  the  sculptor  was  not  Craw- 
ford, as  some  people  claim,  but  Hiram  Powers.  It  is  intended 
to  represent  America.  Senator  Reagan's  son  is  named  Jeffer- 
son Davis  Reagan,  and  in  all  of  Mr.  Davis's  letters  he  invaria- 
bly made  some  pleasant  allusion  to  his  namesake. 


S40  TITD  DAVIS  MMiORIAL  VOZVMR 

"*Mr.  Davis/  added  Senator  Keagan,  'was  one  of  the  few 
men  who  measured  the  full  force  -of  the  war.  Pie  from  the 
first  contended  that  it  was  likely  to  last  a  number  of  years 
instead  of  a  few  months,  as  many  persons  predicted.  It  was 
at  first  proposed  to  enlist  an  army  of  two  or  three  hundred 
thousand  men  for  six  months,  for  by  that  time  it  was  supjDOsed 
that  the  war  would  be  over.  Mr.  Davis  promptly  disposed  of 
that  suggestion  by  declaring  that  it  would  take  at  least  a  year 
to  organize  an  cfiicient  army,  as  soldiers  could  not  be  made  in 
a  few  days.  He  said  it  would  be  wiser  to  establish  a  smaller 
army,  one  that  wo  could  afi"ord  to  arm  and  equip.  From  the 
first  ho  maintained  that  it  would  be  a  long  and  bloody  war, 
but  many  Southern  men  differed  with  him,  and  the  result  was 
wc  were  obliged  to  pass  that  terrible  act  of  conscription  to 
keep  our  men  in  the  service. 

" '  There  is  another  question  that  I  wish  to  touch  upon  in 
this  connection,"  said  the  Senator.  '  I  have  frequently  referred 
to  the  question  of  his  disabilities,  and  we  have  discussed  the 
subject  from  various  standpoints.  Invariably  JMr,  Davis 
declared  that  he  could  not  conscientiously  ask  to  have  his  dis- 
abilities removed,  for  he  could  not  induce  himself  to  believe 
that  he  had  done  wrong.  He  was  firm  in  his  convictions  on 
that  point,  and  nothing  could  move  him.' 

" '  What  were  his  characteristics  ?' 

" '  He  was  a  man  of  great  labor,  of  great  learning,  of  great 
integrity,  of  great  purity.' 

"'What,  from  your  knowledge  and  acquaintance  with  the 
man,  was  the  principal  motive  which  actuated  him  in  going 
into  the  rebellion?' 

"'To  secure  a  government  that  should  be  friendh' to  the 
people.  He  was  an  intense  believer  in  the  doctrine  that  the 
States  should  control  absolutely  their  domestic  affairs,  and 
that  the  general  government  had  no  power  or  authority  to  act 
outside  of  the  matters  specially  delegated  to  it.' 

"'There  was,  then,  no  vindictiveness,  no  hostility  to  the 
Northern  people.' 

"'Not  at  all;  not  at  all.  So  far  from  that  being  the  case, 
Mr.  Davis  had  served  in  the  army  and  in  the  War  Depart- 
ment, had  been  a  member  of  both  branches  of  Congress,  dur- 
ing all  of  which  experience  he  associated  with  the  Northern 
people  in  such  relations  that  for  a  year  or  two  before  the  war 


THREE  YEARS  OF  CARNAGE  Wl 

tho  radical  Southern  leaders  did  not  confer  with  him  at  all. 
I  know  this,  for  I  was  here,  and  familiar  with  what  was  going 
on.' 

** '  Why  was  he  elected  to  the  presidency  of  the  Confederacy 
if  the  leaders  felt  so  disposed  toward  him  ? ' 

" '  Because  they  recognized  his  ability  and  integrity  of 
character,  and  knew  that  ho  could  bo  depended  on.' 

" '  Did  his  trouble  during  tho  war  with  General  Johnston, 
grow  out  of  the  lack  of  confidence  expressed  before  the  rebel- 
lion began?' 

" '  I  do  not  care  to  go  into  that  trouble,  for  it  is  one  about 
which  I  know  but  little.  This  much,  however,  I  can  say : 
That  before  the  differences  arose  between  tlicm  (and  they 
related  to  questions  of  rank  and  precedence  merely  in  appoint- 
ments), they  were  the  best  of  friends.'  Both  were  conservative 
by  nature;  both  were  ardent  States-rights  men,  and  their 
divergence  was  not  occasioned  by  any  variance  of  views  as  to 
policy.' 

'"  What  will  be  the  effect  of  his  death  upon  the  South?' 

" '  Tliere  will  be  general  sorrow  of  the  people,  for  the  people 
of  the  South  greatly  loved  him.' 

" '  Will  it  affect  in  any  way  the  sentiment  in  favor  of  accept- 
ing the  results  of  the  war  of  the  rebellion  as  final?' 

"^'Not  at  all.  Why,  ]\Ir.  Davis  himself  always  urged  the 
fullest  acceptance  of  the  present  condition  of  affairs.' 

" '  Wl\y,  then,  did  he  not  ask  to  have  his  disabilities 
removed?' 

" '  Because  he  did  not  feel  that  ho  had  done  anything  which 
required  him  to  ask  any  man's  pardon.  Ho  had  done  his 
duty  as  he  had  conscientiousl}^  seen  it,  and  he  had  no  apolo- 
gies to  make  therefor.  ]Mr.  Davis  was  greatly  misjudged  in 
many  ways.  He  was  the  most  devout  Christian  I  ever  knew, 
and  the  most  self-sacrificing  man.  When  his  plantation  was 
in  danger  of  being  seized  and  the  property  destroj-ed  he  was 
urged  by  friends  to  send  a  force  of  men  to  protect  it.  'The 
President  of  the  Confederacy,'  he  responded,  '  cannot  afford  to 
use  public  means  to  preserve  private  interests,  and  I  cannot 
employ  men  to  take  care  of  my  property';  and  so  when  his 
hill  property  in  Hinds  county  was  threatened,  and  all  his 
books  and  papers  were  in  danger  of  destruction,  he  again 
resisted  all  persuasions  of  friends  to  have  them  protected.' 


842  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

"  Mr.  Reagan  said  he  knew  nothing  about  the  intention  of 
the  southern  members  of  Congress,  whether  or  not  any  of  them 
would  attend  the  funeral,  as  at  that  time  he  had  seen  no  one." 

RECOLLECTIOXS    OF   HON.    GEORGE    DAVIS,   OP    NORTH    CAROLINA, 
CONFEDERATE    ATTORNEY-GENERAL. 

In  his  address  at  the  memorial  meeting  at  Wilmington,  N. 
C,  Hon.  George  Davis  recalled  his  association  with  President 
Davis  in  such  touching  and  eloquent  style  that  we  quote  his 
remarks  in  full: 

"  Mr.  Davis  opened  his  remarks  by  quoting  from  Psalms 
LXXXIL,  6  and  7  :  '  I  have  said,  ye  are  gods,  and  all  of  you 
are  children  of  the  Most  High.  But  ye  shall  die  like  men, 
and  fall  like  one  of  the  princes.' 

"  Jefferson  Davis,  said  the  speaker,  was  a  prince,  a  true 
prince  in  all  that  was  most  noble.  To  die  in  the  purple  of 
power  of  state,  to  fall  in  the  rush  of  battle  where  cannons  roar 
and  bayonets  are  flashing,  to  sink  in  the  arrjs  of  victory,  to 
end  in  the  glare  and  dazzle  of  proud  achievements — these 
things  were  not  for  him. 

"  After  long  j-ears  of  toil  and  anxiety,  of  strife  and  bitter- 
ness, of  struggle  and  failure,  of  hatred  and  insult  and  slander, 
of  poverty  and  misfortune,  of  weariness,  pain  and  suffering, 
having  finished  his  course  he  now  rests  from  his  labors — rests 
in  peace.     He  has  passed  from  earth  enduring  unto  the  end. 

Oh  !  let  him  pass.    He  hates  him 
That  would  upon  the  rack  of  this  tough  world 
Stretch  him  out  longer.' 

"  Whatever  was  great  in  his  public  life — and  there  was 
much — whatever  was  memorable  in  his  actions  as  soldier, 
scholar,  orator,  statesman,  patriot,  these  things  I  relegate  to 
history.  I  desire  only  to  utter  a  few  simple  words  in  loving 
remembrance  of  the  chief  I  honor,  of  the  man  I  admire,  of 
the  dead  friend  whom  I  loved.  What  manner  of  man  was 
this  for  whom  ten  millions  of  people  are  in  grief  and  tears  this 
day?  No  man  ever  lived  upon  whom  the  glare  of  public 
attention  beat  more  fiercely,  no  man  ever  lived  more  sharply 
criticised,  more  unjustly  slandered,  more  sternly  censured, 
more  strongly  condemned,  more  bitterly  hated,  more  wrongly 


THREE  YEARS  OF  CARNAGE,  813 

maligned,  and  though  slandered  by  enemies,  betrayed  by  false 
friends,  carped  at  by  ignorant  fools,  no  man  ever  lived  who 
could  more  fearlessly,  '  like  a  great  man  who  long  preceded 
him, 'leave  the  vindication  of  his  fair  fame  to  the  next  age 
and  to  men's  charitable  speeches.'  Standing  here  to-day  by 
his  open  grave,  and  in  all  human  probability  not  very  far  from 
my  own,  1  declare  to  j'ou  that  he  was  the  most  honest,  truest, 
gentlest,  bravest,  tenderest,  manliest  man  I  ever  knew ;  and  what 
more  could  I  say  than  that?  My  public  life  was  long  since  over, 
my  ambition  went  down  with  the  banner  of  the  Lost  Cause,  and 
like  it  never  rose  again,  I  have  had  abundant  time  in  all 
these  quiet  years,  and  it  has  been  my  favorite  occupation,  to 
review  the  occurrences  of  that  time  and  retrospect  over  the 
history  of  that  tremendous  struggle,  to  remember  with  love 
and  admiration  the  great  men  who  bore  their  parts  in  its  events. 

"  I  have  often  thought  what  was  it  that  the  southern  people 
had  to  be  most  proud  of  in  all  the  proud  things  of  their  record. 
Not  the  achievements  of  our  arms.  No  man  is  more  proud  of 
them  than  I ;  no  man  rejoices  more  in  Manassas,  Chancellors- 
ville,  and  in  Richmond;  but  all  nations  have  had  their  victo- 
ries. There  is  something,  I  think,  better  than  that,  and  ib  was 
this — that  through  all  the  bitterness  of  thattime,  and  through- 
out all  the  heat  of  that  bitter  contest,  Jefferson  Davis  and 
Robert  E,  Lee  never  spoke  a  word,  never  wrote  a  line,  that  the 
whole  neutral  world  did  not  accept  as  the  very  indisputable 
truth.  You  all  remember  that  Mr.  Davis  did  not  send  a  mes- 
sage to  Congress,  in  which  he  portrayed  the  condition  and 
causes  of  things,  that  all  the  world  did  not  know  it  to  be  true. 
You  know,  Mr,  Chairman,  and  3'ou  remember,  3'ou  old  gray 
jackets  ;  3'es,  you  all  remember,  that  when  General  Lee  in  his 
quiet,  modest,  reverent  way  would  telegraph  to  Mr.  Davis  at 
Richmond  that  God  had  mercifully  blessed  our  arms,  all  the 
lying  bulletins  that  flashed  over  a  continent  could  not  make 
the  world  believe  that  there  had  been  a  Federal  victory.  Aye, 
truth  was  the  guiding  star  of  both  of  them,  and  that  is  a  grand  , 
thing  to  remember;  upon  that  my  memory  rests  more  proudly 
than  upon  anything  else.  It  is  a  monument  better  than 
marble,  more  durable  than  brass.  Teach  it  to  your  children, 
that  the}^  may  be  proud  to  remember  Jefferson  Davis." 

"  ^Ir,  Davis  stated  that  Jefferson  Davis  Avas  one  of  the  few 
men  he  had  ever  known,  one  of  two  or  three  he  had  known, 


S44  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

who  did  not  grow  smaller  as  you  got  nearer  to  them.  '  The 
more  you  knew  him/  said  Mr.  Davis,  'the  nearer  you  came  to 
him  ;  the  more  you  saw  and  heard  him  the  greater  he  grew.' 

"He  has  been  growing  greater  and  greater  for  twenty-five 
years;  he  will  be  greater  one  hundred  years  hence  than  he  is 
to-day.  Sach  wonderful  and  accurate  information  I  never 
saw.  He  seemed  to  me  to  have  traversed  the  whole  course  of 
science  and  of  nature  and  of  art.  Whatever  was  the  topic  of 
conversation,  from  making  a  horseshoe  to  int'erpretingthe  con- 
stitution, from  adjusting  a  jack-plane  to  building  a  railroad,  he 
not  only  seemed  to  know  all  about  it,  but  could  tell  you  the 
most  approved  methods  of  doing  it  aM.  Some  people  have  an 
idea,  and  not  a  few  I  expect,  tliat  Mr.  Davis  was  a  cold,  severe, 
austere,  unfeeling  man.  There  never  was  a  more  untrue 
opinion.  No  man  ever  had  a  better  right  to  know  than  I. 
For  sixteen  months  I  had  the  honor  to  be  at  the  head  of  the 
law  department  of  his  government,  and  every  sentence  of  a 
military  court  that  went  to  ]\lr,  Davis  was  referred  to  me  fur 
examination  and  report.  I  do  not  think  that  I  am  a  very 
cruel  man,  but  I  declare  to  you  that  it  was  the  most  difficult 
thing  in  the  world  to  keep  Mr.  Davis  up  to  the  measure  of 
justice.  lie  wanted  to  pardon  everybody,  and  if  ever  a  wife 
or  mother  or  a  sister  got  into  his  presence  it  took  but  a  little 
while  for  their  tears  to  wash  out  the  records. 

"  The  speaker  here  referred  very  feelingly  to  a  touching  inci- 
dent of  tenderness  and  affection  displayed  by  Jefferson  Davis 
at  the  death -bed  of  the  wife  of  General  Dick  Taylor. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  said  Mr.  Davis,  "but  I  profess  to  you  that 
I  thoroughly  believe  that  he  never  could  read  the  story  of 
*  Little  Nell' or  the  death  of  Colonel  Newcombe  without  his 
eyes  being  bedimned  with  tears.  Once  he  was  indisposed  in 
Richmond,  so  sick  that  the  physician  confined  him  to  the  bed. 
To  relieve  the  monotony  his  wife  was  reading  to  him  one 
morning  some  story — I  do  not  remember  what.  He  was  so 
quiet  that  IMrs.  Davis  thought  that  he  was  asleep,  but  did  not 
stop  for  fear  of  awaking  him.  She  got  to  that  portion  of  the 
book  where  the  villain  of  the  story  got  the  heroine  into  his 
power  and  was  coining  it  pretty  strong  over  her,  when  sud- 
denly she  heard  him  exclaim:  'The  infernal  villain!'  and 
looking  around,  the  President  was  sitting  up  in  bed  with  both 
fists  clenched.    Well,  this  is  a  little  thing ;  do  you  respect  him 


THREE  TEARS  OF  CARNAGE.  M5 

less  for  it?  It  showed  that  he  was  a  man,  not  a  cold  image 
set  up  on  a  pedestal  for  us  to  admire — a  man  wilh  the  faults 
and  weaknesses  of  humail  nature,  but  a  man  with  the  great 
virtues,  great  human  nature.  I  never  saw  a  man  more 
simple  in  his  habits  of  life.  He  surrounded  himself  with  no 
barriers  of  forms  and  ceremonies.  The  humblest  soldier  in 
the  ranks,  the  plainest  citizen  in  the  Confederacy,  could  have 
as  easy  access  to  him  as  the  members  of  his  cabinet  when  such 
demands  on  his  time  were  consistent  with  the  interests  of  his 
country.  No  man  ever  lived  who  more  thoroughly  despised  the 
mere  show  and  tinsel  of  state  and  power,  and  the  trappings  of 
office.  Nowadays  if  Mr.  Secretary  takes  it  in  his  head  to  go  a 
junketing,  or  a  negro  is  to  be  sent  on  a  mission  to  an  insignifi- 
cant nation  of  negroes  who  do  not  want  him,  nothing  but  a 
war-ship  of  the  government  will  suffice  to  sustain  their  dignity. 
*'Mr.  Davis  was  at  tiie  head  of  one  of  the  grandest  armies 
that  the  world  ever  saw  in  a  time  when  '  laws  were  silenced  in 
the  midst  of  arms,'  and  I  give  "you  my  word  I  never  saw  him 
attended  by  a  guard  or  by  an  orderly.  His  domestic  servants 
were  all  that  were  needed  and  all  that  he  would  have.  I  soy 
he  was  never  attended  by  a  guard ;  he  was  once,  and  I  sha.l 
never  forget  his  delight  when  ho  told  me  of  it.  "When  General 
Lee  was  encamped  on  the  banks  of  the  Chickahominy  near 
Kichmond,  Mr.  Davis  was  in  the  habit  every  afternoon  after 
the  businesa  of  his  office  was  over  of  riding  out  to  his  head- 
quarters. Upon  these  visits  he  alwaj's  went  on  horseback  and 
generally  alone.  Upon  one  occasion  he  was  defamed  la^cr 
than  usual,  and  night  had  fallen  before  he  left  General  Lee's 
tent.  As  he  rode  along  he  heard  a  horse  approaching  rapidly 
and  presently  a  cheery  young  voice  called  out  *  Good  evening,' 
and,  as  he  turned  to  salute,  a  young  lad  rode  up  to  his  side — a 
young  boy  of  some  16  or  17  years  of  age,  but  he  wore  the 
gray  jacket,  and  had  his  rifle  on  his  shoulder  and  his  revolver 
in  his  belt.  '  Good  evening.  Is  your  name  Davis — Jefferson 
Da^is?'  'Yes.'  'Well,  don't  you  think  you  are  doing  very 
wrong  to  be  riding  around  in  the  dark  by  yourself?'  Mr. 
Davis  said  he  was  within  our  lines  and  had  nothing  to  fear 
from  Confederate  soldiers.  'It  ain't  right,' said  the  boy, 'for 
there  are  bad  men  in  our  army  as  well  as  in  all  armies.'  When 
about  two  miles  from  Richmond  and  the  outposts  were  reached 
he  said ;  '  Well,  I  reckon  I'll  go  back  now.'    The  brave  lad 


840  THE  DAVIS  3IE3IORIAL   V0LU3IB. 

thought  of  the  President  as  in  clanger  and  he  made  himself 
his  bodyguard,  determined  to  see  him  through  ;  and  he  would 
have  died  for  him  there  upon  that  lonely  road  with  as  much 
bravery  and  cheerfulness  as  thousands  of  his  comrades  were 
dying  every  day  for  the  cause  Mr.  Davis  represented. 

*"Ah,  his  people  loved  him,  and  have  met  together  to-day  to 
show  it  to  the  world.  I  once  witnessed  a  scene  which  showed 
how  the  people  loved  him.  In  May,  1867,  after  two  years  of 
the  most  brutal  treatment,  the  most  brutal  imprisonment  the 
world  ever  saw,  outside  of  Siberia,  unrelieved  by  the  slightest 
touch  of  kindness  or  generosity,  Mr.  Davis  was  brought  to 
trial  before  the  Federal  court  in  Richmond.  I  chanced  to  be 
there,  and  promised  Mrs.  Davis,  as  soon  as  I  had  any  intima- 
tion of  what  the  court  was  going  to  do,  to  come  and  report.  I 
sat  in  the  court  when  Chief-Justice  Chase  announced  that  the 
prisoner  was  released.  I  never  knew  how  I  got  out  of  that 
court-house,  or  through  the  crowd  that  lined  the  streets,  but  I 
found  myself  in  Mrs.  Davis's  room  and  reported.  In  a  little 
while  I  looked  out  of  a  window  and  saw  that  the  streets  were 
lined  with  thousands  and  thousands  of  the  people  of  Rich- 
mond, and  scarcely  passage  was  there  even  for  the  carriage  in 
which  Mr.  Davis  rode  at  a  funeral  gait;  and  as  he  rode  every 
head  was  bared,  not  a  sound  was  heard,  except  now  and  then 
a  long  sigh,  and  so  he  ascended  to  his  wife's  chamber.  That 
room  was  crowded  with  friends,  male  and  female.  As  Mr. 
Davis  entered  they  rushed  to  him  and  threw  their  arms  around 
him.  They  embraced  each  other;  old  soldiers,  men  of  tried 
daring,  cried  like  infants.  Dear  old  Dr.  Minnegerode  lifted  up 
his  hands,  with  big  tears  rolling  down  his  cheeks,  and  the 
assembled  company  knelt  down  while  he  offered  up  a  short 
thanksgiving  to  God  for  having  restored  to  us  our  revered 
chieftain. 

"Now  what  more  can  I  say?  I  have  endeavored  to  give 
you  these  little  personal  traits  of  Mr.  Davis  in  order  that  you 
might  know  him  better.  He  was  a  high-toned,  pure-hearted. 
Christian  gentleman,  and  if  our  poor  humanityhas  any  higher 
form  than  that  I  know  not  M^hat  it  is.  His  great  and  active 
intellect  never  exercised  itself  with  questioning  the  being  of 
God  or  the  truth  of  His  revelations  to  man.  He  never  thought 
it  wise  or  smart  to  scoff  at  mysteries  which  he  could  not 
understand.     He  never  was  daring  enough  to  measure  infinite 


THREE  TEARS  OF  CARNAGE.  847 

power  and  goodness  by  the  poor  narrow  gauge  of  a  limited, 
crippled  human  intellect.  Where  he  understood  he  admired, 
woishiped,  adored.  Where  he  could  not  understand  he  rested 
unquestionably  upon  a  faith  that  was  as  the  faith  of  a  little 
child — a  faith  that  never  wavered,  and  that  nnide  him  lock' 
always  undoubtingly,  fearlessly,  through  life,  through  death. 
to  life  again," 

REMINISCENCES    OF     EX-GOVERNOR    F.     R,    LUBBOCK   OF   MR, 
DAVIS'S   STAFF. 

Ex-Governor  F.  R.  Lubbock,  of  Texas,  ha-s  been  one  of  Mr. 
Davis's  most  ardent  admirers  and  devoted  friends,  and  we  are 
indebted  to  him  for  the  following  reminiscences  of  his  friend> 
on  whose  personal  staff  he  served,  and  with  whom  he  was 
most  intimately  associated : 

"I  had  know  very  little  of  Mr.  Davis  personally  previous  to 

1860,  Of  course  his  history  as  a  soldier  and  statesman  was 
well  known  to  all  men  who  had  read  of  the  Mexican  war  and 
had.  kept  posted  in  the  politics  of  the  country.  But  the  Con- 
federacy was  the  era  from  which  I  date  our  friendship, 

"  I  was  elected  Governor  of  the  State  of  Texas  in  August, 

1861,  a  few  months  after  commencement  of  hostilities  between 
the  States.  As  soon  after  as  it  was  possible,  I  hastened  to 
Richmond  that  I  might  confer  with  the  President  of  the  Con.r 
federate  States,  and  learn  from  him  how  I  could  best  aid  the 
Confederacy.  On  arriving  at  Richmond  I  found  Mr.  Davis 
absent  from  the  city,  and  with  the  army,  I  proceeded  to  join 
him  and  returned  with  him  to  the  seat  of  government.  The 
interview  was  most  interesting  to  me.  He  imparted  much 
information  as  to  his  future  plans  of  operation,  suggesting 
ways  in  which  the  governors  of  the  several  States  could 
strengthen  the  power  and  further  the  onward  march  of  the 
('onfederacy  without  impairing  their  rights  or  trenching  upon 
their  sovereignty.  In  a  few  days  I  returned  to  Texas,  deter- 
mined to  give  to  the  government  of  the  Confederate  States 
every  assistance  in  my  power, 

"Having  signified  my  determination  to  enter  the  army  at 
the  expiration  of  my  gubernatorial  term  the  President  did  me 


S4S  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

the  honor  on  the  5th  of  November,  1863,  the  day  my  term 
expired,  to  appoint  me  assistant  adjutant-general  in  the  Con- 
federate army  with  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel,  and  I  was  on 
that  day  assigned  to  duty  by  Lieutenant-General  E.  Kirby 
Smith,  commanding  tlie  Trans-Mississippi  department. 

"  In  June,  1864,  while  with  the  army  in  Louisiana,  I  was 
nominated  by  the  President  of  the  Confederate  States  and 
confirmed  by  the  Senate  to  be  an  aide  to  the  President  with 
rank  of  colonel  of  cavalry.  I  was  advised  by  ]\Ir.  Davis  of 
my  appointment  and  confirmation,  which,  as  he  said,  was 
made  without  opportunity  for  consultation  or  information  as 
to  my  wishes  for  the  reason  that  he  required  at  once  the  ser- 
vices of  some  one  well  informed  as  to  the  wants  and  demands 
of  the  Trans-Mississippi  department.  He  desired,  should  I 
accept,  that  I  would  report  to  him  as  soon  as  convenient.  In 
a  very  few  hours  after  receiving  my  commission  I  left  the 
army  in  Louisiana,  and  repairing  to  Pichmond  reported  for 
duty.  Mj  reception  was  all  I  could  have  desired.  Mr.  Davis, 
always  kind  and  polite,  assured  me  of  his  pleasure  at  my 
coming  so  promptly,  and  made  me  feel  quite  at  home  in  his 
military  family. 

"]\Iy  first  impression  when  I  entered  into  his  presence  con- 
firmed my  previously-forn:!cd  opinion  of  his  grand  and  digni- 
fied character,  of  his  patriotism  and  devotion  to  the  work  to 
which  he  had  been  called  by  his  people.  Constant  attendance 
day  by  day  upon  the  Executive,  which,  in  his  office,  or  during 
his  quite  frequent  visits  to  the  field,  the  camp  and  the  hospital 
founded  in  my  heart  a  strong  love  for  the  man,  and  still  more 
increased  my  admiration  for  the  soldier  and  the  statesman. 
Frequently  visiting  his  home  in  Pichmond  and  seeing  him 
with  his  talented  and  lovely  wife  and  surrounded  by  his  chil- 
dren, I  knew  him  as  the  noble  husband  and  affectionate  Chris- 
tian parent.  Beside  the  happiness  of  his  family  he  appeared 
never  to  be  concerned  about  anything  but  the  welfare  of  his 
people..  From  the  day  I  took  service  with  him  to  the  very 
moment  that  we  were  separated,  subsequent  to  our  capture,  I 
witnessed  his  unselfishness.  lie  forgot  himself  and  displayed 
more  self-abnegation  than  any  human  being  I  have  ever 
known.  While  Commander-in-Chief,  with  thousands  at  his 
command,  he  always  declined  escorts  and  guards,  and  when 
cautioned  about  exposing  himself  to  danger,  he  invariably 


replied:  'I  have  no  fears  fof  myself,'  and  in  the  most  unpre- 
tentious manner  he  would  visit  the  lines  of  the  army  oftener 
with  one  aide  than  more.  While  fond  of  society  he  rarely,  if 
ever,  sought  it  during  the  war,  it  being  his  pleasant  duty  to 
give  every  hour  of  his  time  to  his  country.  While  burdened 
with  weighty  matters  of  state  he  was  kindly  attentive  to  all 
classes  of  people,  lie  was  as  polite  and  affable  to  the  hum- 
blest soldier  or  his  messenger  boy  as  to  the  officer  of  higlicst 
rank  in  the  army.  For  this  reason  he  was  loved  by  all  who 
served  near  his  person.  He  was  always  welcomed  with  great 
cordiality  when  visiting  the  troops  in  their  quarters. 

"  It  has  been  asserted  that  he  was  harsh  and  severe  to  those 
with  whom  he  differed.  This  is  an  entire  misapprehension  of 
his  nature  and  disposition.  Though  tenacious  of  his  own 
opinions  and  quite  fixed  in  his  judgment  when  formed,  he 
seemed  to  me  to  be  much  'more  tolerant  than  other  men  of 
ability  and  power  with  whom  I  have  been  associated,'  while 
others  would  be  intolerant  and  very  exacting  during  our  strug- 
gle he  would  be  the  apologist  of  many  who  failed  in  their 
duty,  treating  delinquents  with  compassion  and  leiniency. 

"  I  shall  not  speak  of  him  as  an  orator  seldom  equalled. 
As  a  conversationalist  he  surpassed  all  I  have  ever  known. 
His  accurate  observations  and  extensive  reading  made  him 
most  charmingias  a  companion,  and  as  a  traveling  companion 
the  life  of  any  party.  After  the  war  was  over  I  had  the  plea- 
sure of  accompanying  him  in  England,  France  and  Scotland. 
He  would  astonish  the  residents  by  his  wonderful  recitals  of  their 
great  historical  events  both  of  peace  and  war.  I  remember  on 
one  occasion,  in  company  with  a  party  of  Scotch  friends,  his 
description  of  their  great  battles  and  the  knowledge  of  their 
battle-fields  amazed  his  listeners.  He  quoted  Burns  and 
Scott  repeatedly — he  was  verv  fond  of  both  authors — and  this 
remark,  afterwards  incorporated  in  a  book  published  in  Scot- 
land, was  made  by  one  of  the  company :  'If  Scott's  works 
were  destroyed  they  could  be  reproduced  by  the  ex-President 
of  the  Confederate  States.' 

"If,  however,  INIr.  Davis  was  great  during  the  war  he  was 

grand  when  disaster  and  defeat  overtook  the  Confederate  cause. 

I  loved  and  admired  him  while  in  power;  as  the  head  of  the 

•  Lost  Cause  a  captive  in  the  liands  of  the  foe  I  loved  and  admired 

him  still.     His  great  dignity  and  firmness  of  character  did 


856  TBB  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

honor  to  the  people  whom  he  represented,  while  his  brav© 
resignation  adorned  the  Christian  religion. .  No  murmur 
escaped  his  lips,  while  the  hot  blood  of  indignation  fired  my 
heart  and  tongue  at  the  indignities  heaped  upon  him  in  his 
most  trying  hour.  Since  then,  thank  God,  he  has  lived  long 
enough  to  win  the  respect  of  his  intelligent  enemies  by  his 
manly  bearing,  and  to  secure  the  gratitude  of  his  friends  by 
giving  to  us  a  history  that  tells  both  sides  of  the  great  issues 
that  divided  the  States. 

"  And  now,  though  deprived  of  his  citizenship  and  made 
the  mark  at  which  the  shafts  of  the  'bloody  shirt'  politicians 
arc  hurled,  he  stands  before  the  united  country  recognized  as 
the  greatest  living  man  of  the  day ;  and  when  he  departs 
hence  a  great  and  good  man,  a  Christian,  pure  and  unsullied, 
will  enter  the  better  land  in  which  his  citizenship  will  not  be 
denied  him  and  where  his  noble  soul  can  put  forth  full  energy 
and  be  happy,  while  impartial  history  will  fully  accord  to  him 
greatness  and  goodness." 

"The  above  article  was  written  more  than  five  years  ago. 
The  end  has  come  and  our  grand  old  chief  has  been  laid  to 
rest.  The  writer  was  present  to  look  once  again  upon  his  noble 
features  before  they  were  forever  shut  from  view.  It  was  glo- 
rious to  see  how  the  States  honored  him.  It  was  more  glorious 
to  see  how  the  old  veterans,  the  masses  of  men,  the  fair  women, 
and  the  lovely  children  eager  to  strew  with  flowers  the  bier  of 
their  illustrious  dead,  flocked  to  the  great  city  of  the  South- 
land where  true  hearts  had  made  for  him  such  princely  obse- 
quies. 

"What  homage  to  his  name  that  so  many  of  the  States  are 
contending  for  the  possession  of  his  very  dust.  Wherever  it 
is  laid  it  will  be  a  sacred  spot  to  be  visited  in  after  years  by 
the  lovers  of  constitutional  liberty.  Then,  inspired  by  the 
voice  that  rises  from  that  tomb,  they  shall  consecrate  anew 
their  energies  to  the  preservation  of  our  government  as 
bequeathed  to  us  by  our  sires  of  the  Revolution." 

THE    CONDUCT    OF    THE    WAR. 

It  has  been  the  custom  of  Northern  writers  to  represent  Mr. 
Davis  as  guilty  of  the  utmost  cruelty  in  the  conduct  of  the 
war^ — of  being  knowingly  and  deliberately  "  guilty  of  the  hor- 


Bust  by  Volck,  from  which  the  Confederate  Postage  Stamp  was  engraved  during  the  Coufedcrucy. 
Orisinal  in  the  possession  of  W.  SK^Davies,  Lee  Gallery,  lUchmond,  Va. 


m  TSS  DAVIS  MBMOmAL  VOLVMR 

rors  of  Anderson  ville"- — and  of  violating  in  the  cojiduct  of  tliS 
war  not  cnly  ilio  principles  of  States'  rights,  for  which  he 
contended,  but  the  usages  of  civilized  warfare  as  well. 

Never  v/as  there  a  charge  with  less  foundation  made — never 
a  bolder  effort  to  falsity  history  by  attempting  to  fix  on  the  Con- 
federate government  the  iniquities  of  which  the  Federal 
government  was  guilty. 

The  accomplished  editor  of  the  Kaleigh  News  and  Observer 
well  puts  it  when  he  says : 

"  It  is  profitless  to  discuss  how  far  any  measure  of  the  Con- 
federate government  was  right  or  wrong,  but  as  for  ]\Ir.  Davis, 
lie  had  the  responsibility;  he  had  full  knowledge  of  all  the 
circumstances;  he  had  the  general  plan  of  the  whole  war  from 
Texas  to  the  Potomac  to  subserve  and  watch  and  to  carry  out. 
It  is  to  our  glory  that  there  was  no  Fort  Lafayette  at  the  South. 
It  is  to  the  honor  of  the  Confederate  government  that  no  Con- 
federate secretary  ever  could  touch  a  bell  and  send  a  citizen  to 
jjrison." 

On  the  floor  of  the  House  of  Representatives  in  1876,  Hon. 
James  Blaine,  of  ]\Iaine,  made  a  furious  attack  on  Mr,  Davis 
as  **  the  author  of  the  crimes  of  Anderson ville." 

Hon.  B.  II.  Hill,  of  Georgia,  was,  fortunately  for  the  truth  of 
history,  a  member  of  the  House  and  made  an  able,  eloquent, 
and  perfectly  triumphant  reply  to  IMr.  Blaine,  in  which  he 
completely  vindicated  the  name  and  fame  of  the  great  Con- 
federate leader. 

The  author  was  at  that  time  secretary  of  the  Southern  His* 
torical  Society,  and  in  two  successive  numbers  of  the  Soulhcrn 
Historical  Society  Papers  (March  and  April,  187G,)  we  took  up 
and  discussed  the  whole  question  of  the  '' Treatment  of  Pri- 
soners During  the  War  Between  the  States."  "We  published 
letters  from  ]\Ir.  Davis,  General  Lee,  Vice-President  A.  H. 
Stephens,  the  Confederate  Commissioner  of  Exchange,  Judge 
Kobcrt  Ould,  the  report  of  the  Confederate  Congressional  Com- 
mittec  on  the  Treatment  of  Prisoners,  statements  of  tho  United 


THREE  YurARS  OF  CARNAOE.  353 

States  Assistant  Secretary  of  "War,  Hon.  Charles  A.  Dana, 
General  B.  F.  Butler,  General  U.  S.  Grant,  and  a  large  number 
of  others,  and  we  closed  our  discussion  with  the  following 
summing  up  of  the  points  made; 

""We  think  that  we  have  established  the  following  points: 

"  1.  The  laws  of  tlie  Confederate  Congress,  the  orders 
of  tlie  Vrar  Department,  the  regulations  of  the  Surgeon-Gene- 
ral, the  action  of  our  generals  in  the  field,  and  the  orders 
of  those  who  had  the  immediate  charge  of  the  prisoners,  all 
provided  that  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  the  Confederates  should 
be  kindly  treated,  supplied  with  the  same  rations  which  our 
soldiers  had,  and  cared  for  when  sick  in  hospitals  placed  on 
precUdy  tlie  same  footing  as  the  hospitals  for  Confederate  soldiers. 

"  2.  If  these  regulations  were  violated  in  individual  instances, 
and  if  subordinates  were  sometimes  cruel  to  prisoners,  it  was 
without  the  knowledge  or  consent  of  the  Confederate  govern- 
ment, Vv'hich  always  took  f)rompt  action  on  any  case  reported 
to  Ihem. 

"3.  If  the  prisoners  failed  to  get  their  full  rations  and  had 
those  of  inferior  quality,  the  Confederate  soldiers  suffered  in 
precisely  the  same  way  and  to  the  same  extent,  and  it  resulted 
from  that  system  of  warfare  adopted  by  the  Federal  authori- 
ties, whicl^  carried  desolation  and  ruin  to  every  part  of  the 
South  they  could  reach,  and  which  in  starving  the  Confederates 
into  submission  brought  the  same  evils  upon  their  own  meil 
in  Southern  prisons. 

"4.  The  mortality  in  Southern  prisons  (fearfully  large, 
although  over  three  ijcr  cent,  lei^s  than  the  mortality  in  Nortliern 
prisons)  resulted  from  causes  beyond  the  control  of  our  authori- 
ties— from  epidemics,  &c.,  which  might  have  been  avoided,  or 
greatly  mitigated,  had  not  the  Federal  government  declared 
medicines  *  contraband  of  war ' — refused  the  proposition  of 
Judge  Quid  that  each  government  should  send  its  own  sur- 
geons with  medicines,  hospital  stores,  &c.,  to  minister  to  sol- 
diers in  prison — declined  his  proposition  to  send  medicines  to 
its  own  men  in  Southern  prisons,  without  being  required  to 
allow  the  Confederates  the  same  privilege — refused  to  allo*v 
the  Confederate  government  to  buy  medicines  for  gold,  tobacco, 
or  cotton,  which  it  offered  to  jiledge  its  honor  should  be  used 
only  for  Federal  prisoners  in  its  hands — refused  to  exchange 

23 


354  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

sick  and  wounded — and  neglected  from  August  to  December, 
1864,  to  accede  to  Judge  Quid's  proposition  to  send  transpor- 
tation to  Savannah  and  receive  ivithout  equivalent  from  ten  to 
fifteen  thousand  Federal  prisoners,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  this  offer  was  accompanied  with  a  statement  of  the  utter 
inability  of  the  Confederacy  to  provide  for  these  prisoners  and 
a  detailed  report  of  the  fearful  mortality  at  Andersonville, 
and  that  Judge  Ould  again  and  again  urged  compliance  with 
his  humane  proposal. 

"5.  We  have  proven,  by  the  most  unimpeachable  testimony, 
that  the  sufferings  of  Confederate  prisoners  in  Northern  'prison 
pens'  were  terrible  beyond  description — that  they  were  starved 
in  a  land  of  plenty — that  they  were  frozen  where  fuel  and 
clothing  were  abundant — that  ihey  suffered  untold  horrors  for 
want  of  medicines,  hospital  stores,  and  proper  medical  atten- 
tion— that  they  were  shot  by  sentinels,  beaten  by  officers,  and 
subjected  to  the  most  cruel  punishments  upon  the  slightest 
pretexts — that  friends  at  the  North  were  refused  the  privilege 
of  clothing  their  nakedness  or  feeding  them  when  starving — 
and  that  these  outrages  were  perpetrated  not  only  with  the  full 
knowledge  of,  but  under  the  orders  of  E.  M.  Stanton,  United 
States  Secretary  of  War.  We  have  proven  these  things  by 
Federal  as  well  as  Confederate  testimon3^ 

"6.  We  have  shown  that  all  the  suffering  of  prisoners  on 
both  sides  could  have  been  avoided  by  simply  carrying  out 
the  terms  of  the  cartel,  and  that  for  the  failure  to  do  this  the 
Federal  authorities  alone  were  responsible;  that  the  Confederate 
government  originally  proposed  the  cartel,  and  were  always 
ready  to  carry  it  out  in  both  letter  and  spirit ;  that  the  Federal 
authorities  observed  its  terms  only  so  long  as  it  was  to  their 
interest  to  do  so,  and  then  repudiated  their  plighted  faith  and 
proposed  other  terms,  which  were  greatly  to  the  disadvantage 
of  the  Confederates;  that  when  the  government  at  Richmond 
agreed  to  accept  the  hard  terms  of  exchange  offered  them, 
these  were  at  once  repudiated  by  the  Federal  authorities ;  that 
when  Judge  Ould  agreed  upon  a  new  cartel  with  General 
Butler,  Lieutenant-General  Grant  refused  to  approve  it  and 
Mr.  Stanton  repudiated  it;  and  that  the  policy  of  the  Federal 
government  was  to  refuse  all  exchanges,  while  they  'fired  the 
Northern  heart'  by  placing  the  whole  blame  upon  the  'rebels,' 
and  by  circulating  the  most  heartrending  stories  of  *  rebel 
barbarity '  to  prisoners. 


THREE  YEARS  OF  CARNAGE.  855 

"If  either  of  the  above  points  has  not  been  made  clear  to 
any  sincere  seeker  after  the  truth,  we  would  be  most  happy  to 
produce  further  testimony.  And  we  hold  ourselves  prepared 
to  maintain  against  all  comers  the  truth  of  every  proposition  we 
have  laid  doivn  in  this  discussion.  Let  the  calm  verdict  of  his- 
tory decide  between  the  Confederate  government  and  their 
calumniators." 

We  had  proof-slips  of  the  above  summary  made,  and  sent 
them  to  leading  newspapers  and  magazines  all  through  the 
North  with  the  request  that  they  would,  if  they  could,  show 
the  incorrectness  of  any  point  made  or  any  statement  given  in 
the  discussion.  We  have  seen  no  serious  attempt  to  refute 
any  of  the  points  made,  and  we  still  hold  ourselves  prepared  to 
maintain  them. 

In  recent  numbers  of  Beljord's  Magazine  there  are  papers 
from  Mr.  Davis  himself  in  which  he  ably  and  triumphantly 
vindicates  himself  and  the  Confederacy  against  the  charge  of 
cruelty  to  prisoners. 

We  would  not  revive  the  bitter  memories  of  the  war  and 
shall  not  go  into  the  revolting  details;  but  it  is  due  to  the  truth 
of  history  that  we  should  say  that  while  Sherman's  march 
through  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas  was  one  prolonged  scene 
of  pillage,  arson,  and  outrage  which  will  continue  a  dark  blot 
on  the  name  of  "The  Great  Bummer,"  and  Sheridan's  devasta- 
tion of  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  concerning  which  he  boasted 
that  he  had  made  the  country  such  a  waste  "  that  a  crow  flying 
over  would  be  compelled  to  carry  his  own  rations,"  is  utterly 
indefensible — we  can  point  with  just  pride  to  the  beautiful 
order  for  the  protection  of  private  property  which  General  Lee 
issued  in  Pennsylvania,  and  to  the  conduct  of  our  ragged, 
starving  "Boys  in  Gray  "  there,  which  excited  the  wonder  and 
admiration  of  the  world. 

Professor  Philip  Stanhope  Worsley,  Fellow  of  Corpus  Christi 
College,  Oxford,  England,  in  presenting  to  General  R.  E.  Lee 
a  copy  of  his  "Translation  of  the  Iliad  of  Homer,"  in  Spen- 


356  TSM;  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

cerian  stanza,  wrote  on  the  fly-leaf  of  the  volume  the  following 
inscription : 

"To  General  R.  E,  Lee — the  most  stainless  of  living  com- 
manders, and,  except  in  fortune,  the  greatest — this  volume  is 
presented  with  the  writer's  earnest  sympathy  and  respectful 
admiration." 

"The  grand  old  bard  that  never  dies, 
Receive  liim  in  our  Englisli  tongue  I 
I  send  tliee,  but  with  weeping  eyes, 
The  story  that  he  sung. 

"  Thy  Troy  is  fallen,  thy  dear  land 

Is  marred  beneath  the  spoiler's  heel. 
I  cannot  trust  my  trembling  hand 
To  write  tlie  things  I  feel. 

"  Ah,  realm  of  tombs  !    But  let  her  bear 
This  blazon  to  the  last  of  times  : 
No  nation  rose  so  white  and  fair, 
Or  fell  so  pure  of  crimes. 

"  The  widow's  moan,  the  orphan's  wail, 

Come  round  thee ;  yet  in  truth  be  strong! 
Eternal  right,  though  all  else  fail, 
Can  never  be  made  wrong. 

"An  angel's  heart,  an  angel's  mouth. 
Not  Homer's,  could  alone  for  me 
Hymn  well  the  great  Confederate  South, 
Virginia  first,  and  Lee.  P.  S.  W." 

In  the  beautiful  letter  which  General  Lee  wrote  in  reply  he 
very  gracefully  brings  out  that  this  was  a  tribute  to  the  Con- 
federacy and  not  to  him : 

"Lexington,  Virginia,  February  10,  1866. 

"Mr.  RS.  Worsley: 

"My  Dear  Sir — I  have  received  the  copy  of  your  translation 
of  the  'Iliad,*  which  you  so  kindly  presented  to  me.  Its 
perusal  has  been  my  evening's  recreation,  and  I  have  never 
enjoyed  the  beauty  and  grandeur  of  the  poem  more  than  a& 
recited  by  you.  The  translation  is  as  truthful  as  powerful, 
and  faithfully  reproduces  the  imagery  and  rythm  of  the  hold. 
orisrinal. 


THBEE  YEAES  OF  CARNAGE.  357 

"The  undeserved  compliment  to  myself  in  prose  and  verse, 
on  the  first  leaves  of  the  volume,  I  receive  as  your  tribute  to 
the  merit  of  my  countrymen  who  struggled  for  constitutional 
government. 

"AVith  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

[Signed]  R.  E.  Lee." 

Mr.  Davis  always  repudiated  very  indignantly  the  insinua- 
tion that  he  ever  violated  the  principle  of  "States'  Rights,"  or 
did  anything  that  could  be  construed  into  even  a  willingness 
to  usurp  power  which  the  Confederate  constitution  did  not 
give  him. 

General  AV.  T.  Sherman  made  a  statement  to  this  effect,  to 
which  Mr.  Davis  made  a  reply  so  able  and  conclusive  that  we 
give  it  in  full  as  printed  in  the  Southern  Historical  Society 
Papers: 

PEESIDENT    DAVIS    IX    REPLY    TO    GENERAL    SHERMAN. 

[In  our  last  issue,  we  noticed  a  slander  which  General  W.  T. 
Sherman  was  pleased  to  make  against  the  ex-President  of  the 
Confederacy,  and  Mr.  Davis's  emphatic  denial,  and  his  chal- 
lenge of  Sherman  to  produce  the  proof. 

The  followmg  letter,  published  in  the  Baltimore  Sun,  is  not 
only  an  able  and  unanswerable  reply  to  Sherman,  but  contains 
other  matter  which  should  have  a  place  in  our  records,  and  be 
handed  down  for  the  use  of  the  future  historian.  Ko  wonder 
that  General  Sherman  has  throicn  himself  back  on  his  dignity  (  ?  ! ), 
and  declined  to  reply  to  this  terrible  but  deserved  excoriation.] 

Beauvoir,  Mississippi,  September  23,  1886. 
Colonel  J.  Thomas  Schccrf,  Baltimore,  Maryland : 

My  Dear  Sir — At  various  times  and  from  many  of  my 
friends,  I  have  been  asked  to  furnish  a  reply  to  General  W.  T. 
Sherman's  so-called  report  to  the  War  Department,  and  which 
the  United  States  Senate  ordered  to  be  printed  as  "  Ex.  Doc. 
No.  36,  Forty-eighth  Congress,  second  session."  I  have  been 
compelled  by  many  causes  to  postpone  my  reply  to  these  invi- 
tations, and  have  in  some  instances  declined,  for  the  time 
being,  to  undertake  the  labor.  A  continuing  sense  of  the 
great  injustice  done  to  me,  and  to  the  people  I  represented,  by 
the  Senate's  making  the  malicious  assault  of  General  Sherman 


358  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  VME. 

a  public  document,  and  giving  to  his  slander  the  iuDportance 
which  necessarily  attaches  to  an  executive  communication  to' 
the  Senate,  has  recefitly  caused  the  request  for  a  reply  by  me 
to  be  pressed  with  very  great  earnestness.  For  this  reason  I 
have  decided  to  furnish  my  reply  to  you  for  publication  in  the 
Baltimore  Bun. 

More  than  twenty  years  after  the  storm  of  war  between  the 
States  had  ceased  and  the  waves  of  sectional  strife  had  sunk  to 
the  condition  of  a  calm,  the  public  harmony  was  disturbed  by 
a  retired  general  of  the  army  making  a  gratuitous  and  gross 
assault  upon  a  private  individual,  living  in  absolute  retirement, 
and  who  could  only  have  attracted  notice  because  he  had  been 
the  representative  of  the  Southern  States,  which,  organized 
into  a  confederacy,  had  been  a  party  to  the  war. 

The  history  of  my  public  life  bears  evidence  that  I  did  all 
in  my  power  to  prevent  the  war;  that  I  did  nothing  to  precipi- 
tate collision ;  that  I  did  not  seek  the  post  of  Chief  Executive, 
but  advised  my  friends  that  I  preferred  not  to  fill  it.  That 
history  General  Sherman  may  slanderously  assail  by  his  state- 
ments, but  he  cannot  alter  its  consistency ;  nor  can  the  Repub- 
licans of  the  Senate  change  its  unbroken  story  of  faithful 
service  to  the  Union  of  the  constitution  until,  by  the  command 
of  my  sovereign  State,  I  withdrew  as  her  ambassador  from  the 
United  States  Senate.  For  all  the  acts  of  my  public  life  as 
President  of  the  Confederate  States  I  am  responsible  at  the 
bar  of  history,  and  must  accept  her  verdict,  which  I  shall  do 
without  the  least  apprehension  that  it  will  be  swayed  from 
truth  by  the  malicious  falsehoods  of  General  Sherman,  even 
when  stamped  as  an  "  Ex.  Doc."  by  the  United  States  Senate. 

Before  a  gathering  of  ex-soldiers  of  the  Union  army,  Gen- 
eral Sherman  took  occasion  in  the  fall  of  1884,  to  make  accu- 
sations against  me  and  to  assert  that  he  had  personal  means  of 
information  not  possessed  by  others,  and  particularly  that  he 
had  seen  a  letter  written  by  myself,  that  he  knew  my  hand- 
writing, and  saw  and  identified  my  signature  to  the  letter.  The 
gravamen  of  his  accusation  was  that  the  letter  to  which  he 
referred  "  had  passed  between  Jeff.  Davis  and  a  man  whose 
name  it  would  not  do  to  mention,  as  he  is  now  a  member  of  the 
United  States  Senate,"  and  that  "in  that  letter  he  (I)  said  he 
would  turn  Lee's  army  against  any  State  that  might  attempt 
to  secede  from  the  Southern  Confederacy."  The  position  of 
general  of  the  United  States  army,  which  General  Sherman 
had  filled,  demanded  that  immediate  contradiction  of  that 
statement  should  be  made,  and  to  that  end  I  published  in  the 
St.  Louis  Eejmblican  the  following  denial : 


THREE  YEABS  OF  CARNAGE,  35» 

"Beauvojk,  MrssissiFPi,  November  6,  1884. 
•*  Editor  SC L6\lU Mepltblkay.  ;- 

"  Dear  Sir — I  have  to-night  received  the  enclosed  pub- 
lished account  of  remarks  made  by  General  W.  T.  Sherman, 
and  ask  the  use  of  3'our  columns  to  notice  only  so  much  as  par- 
ticularly refers  to  myself,  and  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  fol- 
lowing extracts : 

"  The  following  is  taken  from  the  St.  Louis  Republican : 

"  *  Frank  P.  Blair  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  opened  their  new  hall,  cor- 
ner Seventeenth  and  Olive  streets,  last  night. 

" '  General  Sherman  addressed  the  assemblage.  He  had  read 
letters  which  he  believed  had  never  been  published,  and  which 
very  few  people  had  seen.  These  letters  showed  the  rebellion 
to  be  more  than  a  mere  secession — it  was  a  conspiracy  most 
dire.  Letters  which  had  passed  between  Jeff.  Davis  and  a  man 
whose  name  it  would  not  do  to  mention,  as  he  is  now  a  mem- 
ber of  the  United  States  Senate,  had  been  seen  by  the  speaker 
and  showed  Davis's  position.  He  was  not  a  secessionist.  His 
object  in  starting  the  rebellion  was  not  merely  for  the  secession 
of  the  South,  but  to  have  this  section  of  the  country  so  that 
he  could  use  it  as  a  fulcrum  from  which  to  fire  out  his  shot 
at  the  other  sections  of  the  country  and  compel  the  people  to 
do  as  he  w^uld  have  them.  Jeff,  Davis  would  have  turned  his 
hand  against  any  State  that  would  secede  from  the  South  after 
the  South  had  seceded  from  the  North,  Had  the  rebellion  suc- 
ceeded, General  Sherman  said,  the  people  of  the  North  would 
have  all  been  slaves.' 

"  The  following  is  from  the  Globe-Democrat's  report : 

"  '  Referring  to  the  late  war,  he  said  it  was  not,  as  was  gene= 
rally  understood,  a  war  of  secession  from  the  United  States, 
but  a  conspiracy.  'I  have  been  behind  the  curtain,'  said  he, 
'  and  I  have  seen  letters  that  few  others  have  seen,  and  have 
heard  conversations  that  cannot  be  repeated,  and  I  tell  you 
that  Jeff,  Davis  never  was  a  secessionist.  He  was  a  conspira- 
tor. He  did  not  care  for  separation  from  the  United  States. 
His  object  was  to  get  a  fulcrum  from  which  to  operate  against 
the  United  States,  and  if  he  had  succeeded  he  would  to-day  be 
the  master  spirit  of  the  continent  and  you  would  be  slaves. 
I  have  seen  a  letter  from  Jefferson  Davis  to  a  man  whose  name 
I  cannot  mention,  because  he  is  a  United  States  Senator.  I 
know  Davis's  writing  and  saw  his  signature,  and  in  that  letter 


360  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  VME. 

he  said  lie  would  turn  Lee's  army  against  any  State  that  might 
attempt  to  secede  from  the  Southern  Confederacy.' 

"This  public  assault,  under  the  covert  plea  that  it  is  based 
upon  evidence  which  regard  for  a  United  States  Senator  does 
not  permit  him  to  present,  will,  to  honorable  minds,  suggest 
the  idea  of  irresponsible  slander. 

"  It  is  thus  devolved  upon  me  to  say  that  the  allegation  of 
my  ever  having  written  such  a  letter  as  is  described  is  unquali- 
fiedly false,  and  the  assertion  that  I  had  any  purpose  or  v/ish 
to  destroy  the  liberty  and  equal  rights  of  any  State,  either 
North  or  South,  is  a  reckless,  shameless  falsehood,  especially 
because  it  was  generally  known  that  for  many  years  before,  as 
well  as  daring  the  war  between  the  States,  I  was  an  earnest 
advocate  of  the  strict  construction  State-rights  theory  of  Mr. 
Jefferson.  What  motive  other  than  personal  malignity  can  be 
conceived  for  so  gross  a  libel? 

"  If  General  Sherman  has  access  to  any  letters  purporting  to 
have  been  written  by  me  which  will  sustain  his  accusations, 
let  him  produce  them,  or  wear  the  brand  of  a  base  slanderer. 
"  Yours  respectfully, 

*'  Jeffekson  Davis." 

The  publication  of  the  above  letter  attracted  very  general 
notice,  and  two  interviews  were  had  with  General  Sherman  by 
reporters  of  the  Globe-Democrat  and  from  the  St.  Louis  Chronicle. 
In  the  Glohe-Dcmocrat  of  November  25,  1884,  General  Sherman 
is  reported  as  having  said :  "  Whatever  explanation  I  make  will 
be  made  over  my  own  signature.  I  do  not  propose  to  get  into 
a  fight  with  Jeff.  Davis.  *  *  When  a  man  makes  a  news- 
paper statement  he  is  never  sure  of  being  quoted  correctly,  but 
when  he  makes  a  statement  in  his  own  handwriting,  he  is  sure 
of  being  placed  in  the  right  place." 

The  St.  Louis  Chronicle  of  November  24,  1884,  reports  Gene- 
ral Sherman  as  saying :  "  This  is  an  affair  between  two  gentle- 
men. I  will  take  my  time  about  it  and  write  to  Mr.  Davis 
himself.  We  will  settle  the  matter  between  us."  When  asked 
by  the  reporter,  "  Llave  the  pa])ers  misrepresented  you  in  your 
remarks  before  the  Frank  Blair  Post,  G.  A.  K.?"  he  replied: 
"  I  say  nothing  about  that.  My  reply  to  Mr.  Davis  will  not 
be  through  the  newspapers.  They  are  not  the  arbiters  of  this 
question,  nor  the  go-between  for  any  dispute.  I  have  nothing 
more  to  say." 

It  is  hardly  necessary  for  me  to  say  that  General  Sherman 
did  not  write  to  me,  and  we  have  not  settled  the  matter  between 
us  otherwise  than  as  I  settled  it  by  denouncing  his  statement 


THREE  YEARS  OF  CARNAGE.  3G1 

as  false  and  himself  as  a  slanderer.  There  the  matter  would 
have  rested  so  far  as  I  was  concerned,  and  anything  that  Sher- 
man, on  his  own  responsibility,  might  have  afterwards  said 
would  have  been  treated  by  me  with  that  silence  which 
the  mendacious  utterings  of  an  irresponsible  slanderer  deserved. 
But  when  the  War  Department  of  the  United  States  was  made 
the  custodian  of  his  slander,  and  the  Republican  Senators 
became  its  endorsers,  and  the  statements  made  at  the  Frank 
Blair  Post  were  lifted  into  official  importance,  it  became  a 
duty  alike  to  myself  and  to  the  people  I  represented,  to  follow 
the  slanders  with  my  denial,  and  to  expose  alike  its  author 
and  his  endorsers. 

The  United  States  Senate,  by  resolution  offered  by  Senator 
Hawley,  and  debated  during  January  12  and  13,  1885,  called 
upon  the  President  of  the  United  States  "  to  communicate  to 
the  Senate  a  historical  statement  concerning  the  public  policy 
of  the  executive  department  of  the  Confederate  States  during 
the  late  war  of  the  rebellion,  reported  to  have  been  lately  filed 
in  the  War  Department  by  General  William  T.  Sherman."  It 
was  by  means  of  that  resolution  that  the  slander  was  revived, 
and  its  utterer  enabled  to  mould  together  a  pretended  founda- 
tion for  his  baseless  utterance  at  the  Frank  Blair  Post.  While 
the  matter  was  fresh  in  the  memory  and  under  the  searching 
inquiry  of  the  newspaper  reporters.  General  Sherman  repre- 
sented ^at  he  could  not  consistently  give  the  name  of  the 
Senator  to  whom  he  said  the  letter  had  been  written,  and  after 
every  Senator  from  the  Southern  States  had  denied  receiving 
any  such  letter,  and  many  of  them  had  expressed  their  belief 
that  no  such  letter  ever  had  been  in  existence,  he  failed  to  sus- 
tain his  assertion  by  the  production  of  proof  of  the  existence 
of  a  letter  from  me  such  as  he  had  alleged  he  had  seen.  After 
such  full  denial  both  by  myself,  the  reputed  writer,  and  by 
every  Senator  who  could  have  been  the  receiver  of  that  pre- 
tended letter,  the  Senate  offered  an  opportunity  to  General 
Sherman  to  unload  his  slander  deposited  in  the  War  Depart- 
ment, and  to  spread  the  vile  mass  on  the  files  of  the  United 
States  Senate. 

In  the  interval  between  the  meeting  at  the  Frank  Blair  Post 
in  November,  1884,  and  January  6,  1885,  Dr.  H.  C.  Robbins,  of 
Cresson,  Ogle  county,  Illinois,  loaned  Sherman  a  letter  which 
he  said  had  been  written  by  the  late  Alexander  H.  Stephens  to 
the  late  Herschel  V.  Johnson,  both  now  dead.  Sherman  being 
unable  to  verify  his  authority  for  the  assertion  made  by  him  at 
the  Frank  Blair  Post,  this  Stephens-Johnson  letter  was  to  be 
substituted  for  the  Davis  letter,  which,  with  the  circumstan- 


362  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

tiality  needful  to  one  having  little  credibility,  Sherman  said  he 
had  seen,  knew  to  be  mine  from  his  acquaintance  with  my 
handwriting,  and  appended  to  which  he  identified  my  signature. 

In  view  of  the  peremptory  demand  made  for  the  letter,  and 
in  the  absence  of  any  answer  as  to  where  or  when  or  in  whose 
possession  it  was  seen,  a  gentleman  might  hesitate  to  decide 
whether  subterfuge  were  more  paltry  or  absurd. 

The  next  attempt  at  deception  was  to  represent  the  war 
records  in  confusion,  but  this  device  failed  as  signally  as  had 
the  other  misrepresentations  of  General  Sherman.  On  the 
12th  of  December,  five  days  after  the  publication  of  his  cer- 
tificate, the  following  press  telegram  swept  that  subterfuge 
away  from  him : 

"  Washington,  D.  C,  December  12. 
**  The  statement  that  the  rebellion  archives,  now  in  the  War 
Department,  are  in  confusion,  and  that  if  the  Davis  letter,  to 
which  General  Sherman  has  referred,  were  there,  it  would  take 
much  time,  and  involve  great  search  to  find  it,  is  erronous.  The 
archives  have  all  been  gone  over  thoroughly  in  the  preparation 
of  the  War  Records  in  progress  of  publication,  and  persons  in 
charge  of  the  archives,  and  who  have  a  knowledge  of  their  con- 
tents, Bay  that  no  such  letter  as  that  spoken  of  by  General 
Sherman  is  now  there,  or  has  ever  been  there." 

It  is  apparent,  then,  that  Sherman  never  saAV  any  such  letter 
of  mine  as  that  which  he  said  he  had  read  and  identified  by 
my  signature,  and  that  the  Stephens-Johnson  letter  was 
acquired  after  the  speech  had  been  made,  and  was  seized  upon 
to  create  a  pretext  upon  which  he  could  excuse  his  falsehood. 
The  conclusive  proof  which  had  come  to  light  by  denials  from 
Senators  of  having  received  from  me  any  such  letter,  and  by 
their  denying  that  they  had  ever  heard  any  such  opinions 
expressed  by  me,  placed  Sherman  in  a  dilemma  from  which 
to  advance  invoh^ed  further  falsehood,  and  from  which  retreat 
was  only  possible  with  humiliation  and  disgrace.  He  selected 
the  easier  course,  and  went  forward  with  falsehood  attending 
every  step.  In  his  letter  to  the  War  Department,  of  January 
6,  1885,  he  says  he  found  my  letter  at  Raleigh,  North  Carolina, 
saying: 

"  Among  the  books  collected  at  the  capitol  in  Raleigh  was  a 
clerk's  or  secretary's  copy-book,  containing  loose  sheets  and 
letters,  among  which  was  the  particular  letter  of  Mr.  Davis  to 
which  I  referred  in  my  St.  Louis  speech,  and  notwithstanding," 
he  said,  "  I  gave  it  little  attention  at  the  time,"  yet  he  claimed 
twenty  odd  years  after  that  he  could  recall  its  expressions  and 


THREE  YEARS  OF  CARNAGE.  363 

repeat  its  purport.  He  said  that  the  Stephens-Johnson  letter 
was  the  letter,  and  here's  "  the  original,^^  but  he  reported  to  the 
War  Department  that  "  the  particular  letter  of  Mr.  Davis"  was 
found  by  him  in  Raleigh. 

Senator  Vance,  upon  hearing  of  the  alleged  Raleigh  letter, 
promptly  denied  all  knowledge  of  it,  and  wrote  to  the  Washing- 
ton Post,  under  date  of  December  13, 1885,  that : 

"Every  letter  ever  written  to  me  on  a  political  topic  by 
President  Davis  is  to  be  found  faithfully  copied  on  the  ofiicial 
letter-books  of  the  executive  department  of  North  Carolina. 
Those  letter-books  were  taken  from  me  by  General  Sherman's 
troops  at  the  closing  of  the  war,  and  are  now  in  possession 
of  the  War  Department  in  this  city.  Aside  from  the  letter- 
books.  General  Sherman  never  saw  any  letter  addressed  to 
me  by  President  Davis.  Although  I  have  not  seen  those  books 
and  read  their  contents  in  almost  twenty  years,  I  am  quite 
sure  that  no  such  letter  can  be  found  there.  I  could  not  have 
forgotten  such  a  letter  had  it  been  received  by  me.  The  sug- 
gestion, therefore,  that  I  am  the  person  referred  to  in  General 
Sherman's  statement  is  entirely  untrue.  The  attempt  of  some 
newspapers  to  give  probability  to  this  suggestion,  by  alleging 
that  I  was  in  bitter  hostility  whilst  Governor  of  North  Caro- 
lina to  the  administration  of  Mr.  Davis,  is  based  also  upon  a 
misrepresentation  of  the  facts." 

Senator  Vance  at  the  same  time  sent  to  the  Washington 
Post  a  copy  of  my  letter  to  him  of  date  November  1,  1862, 
which  he  said  "  contains  no  such  expression  as  a  threat  against 
States  attempting  to  secede  from  the  Confederacy,  but  does 
contain  this  expression ;  '  I  feel  grateful  to  you  for  the  cordial 
manner  in  which  you  have  sustained  every  proposition  con- 
n'^cted  with  the  public  defence.'  This  much  is  due  to  truth. 
I  do  not  wish  to  pose  as  a  martyr  to  the  circumstances  of  those 
times,  or  as  one  ready  to  turn  upon  his  associates  after  defeat. 
I  desire  to  take  my  full  share  of  responsibility  for  anything  I 
did  and  said  during  those  unhappy  times. 

"  Great  as  were  the  abilities,  and  high  as  were  the  courage 
and  faithfulness  of  Mr.  Davis,  I  have  no  disposition  to  load 
him  with  all  the  misfortunes  of  defeat." 

Before  the  publication  of  the  above  letter  from  Senator 
Vance  in  the  Washington  Post,  interviews  with  Senator  Vance 
had  developed  the  fact  that  a  correspondence  had  taken  place 
during  the  war  between  Governor  Vance  and  myself,  and  at 
that  General  Sherman  also  grasped  as  the  foundation  for  his 
slander.  A  St.  Louis  Rrpublican  reporter  on  the  15th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1884,  asked  General  Sherman  "  Was  Senator  Vance,  the 


364  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Senator  referred  to  in  your  speech  at  the  opening  of  the  new 
headquarters  of  the  Frank  Blair  Post  ? "  "  Well,  sir,"  said 
General  Sherman,  very  slowly,  ''  I  won't  say  that  he  wasn't." 

My  alleged  Raleigh  letter  has  never  been  found.  Sherman 
says  it  was  sent  to  Nashville,  Savannah,  Washington  and  St. 
Louis,  and  may  have  been  finally  burned  in  Chicago  in  the 
great  fire  in  1871.  But  in  all  its  travels  no  other  person  but 
Sherman  saw  it;  not  a  single  officer  at  any  headquarters  has 
been  produced  Y\^ho  read  it,  and  it  passes  belief  that  in  the 
excitement  of  the  closing  days  of  the-  war,  and  during  my 
imprisonment,  when  every  letter  of  mine  was  carefully  ex- 
amined to  find  evidence  upon  which  to  convict  and  destroy  me, 
that  not  an  officer  at  all  those  headquarters  should  have  read 
that  letter.  Every  fair-minded  man  must  therefore  conclude 
that  General  Sherman  stated  at  the  Grand  Army  Post  a  willful 
and  deliberate  falsehood,  and  that  his  motive  had  its  inspira- 
tion in  that  mean  malice  which  has  characterized  his  acts  and 
writings  in  other  respects  towards  the  Southern  people. 

A  man  so  lost  to  every  sense  of  truth  deserved  to  receive  the 
contempt  of  every  one  Avho  values  veracity,  but  Senator  Hawley, 
in  offering  the  resolution  above  quoted,  said :  "  Personally, 
however,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  say  that  in  a  controversy  be- 
tween Jefferson  Davis  and  General  Sherman  he  (Mr.  Hawley) 
was  on  General  Sherman's  side  all  the  time."  High  qualifi- 
cation that  for  an  United  States  Senator,  who  may  sit  a  judge 
in  the  Court  of  Impeachment,  the  highest  tribunal  of  the  land. 

I  leave  Mr.  Hawley  by  General  Sherman's  side,  with  no  de- 
sire whatever  to  have  either  one  or  the  other  on  my  side.  Sena- 
tor Conger  denied  my  equal  citizenship  with  Sherman  until 
"  something  "  is  done  by  me  ;  if  that  "  something  "  to  be  done 
is  to  take  such  part  as  that  filled  by  Sherman  and  his  indorsers 
on  this  occasion,  the  described  inequality  must  ever  remain. 
Another  Senator  (Ingalls)  evinced  very  great  indignation  be- 
cause "  the  Democratic  party  had  in  debate  in  the  Senate  taken 
sides  with  Jefferson  Davis,"  and  that  "  they  had  always  in- 
dorsed him,  always  approved  his  course,  and  had  declared  that 
there  was  nothing  wrong  in  his  record  that  would  convince 
posterity  that  he  was  not  a  man  of  honor  and  a  patriot,"  and 
that  "  the  Senator  from  Alabama  (Mr.  Morgan)  and  the  Sena- 
tor from  Missouri  (Mr.  Vest)  had  taken  occasion  to  inform  the 
Senate  that  there  were  millions  of  people  in  the  United  States 
to-day  who  loved  Jefferson  Davis,  and  to  whom  Jefferson  Davis 
was  endeared  by  the  memory  of  common  hardships,  common 
privations  and  common  calamities."  It  is  not  surprising  that 
such  expressions  of  confidence  and  regard  should  have  been 


THREE  YEARS  OF  CARNAGS.  865 

drawn  out  in  a  cicbato  upon  a  resolution  which  had  for  its  pur- 
pose Iho  endorsement  l)y  tlio  Senate  of  a  mean  slander,  which 
was  known  to  be  unfounded  in  truth,  and  important  only  as 
covering  with  the  mantle  of  Ihe  Senate  the  mendaciiy  of  a 
retired  general  of  the  army. 

The  Senate  having  given  vitality  to  Sherman's  slander,  a  full 
rr^ply  to  the  opinions  and  expressions  therein  is  made,  so  that 
hereafter  it  may  derive  no  credit  even  from  its  ofhcial  char- 
acter. 

The  so-called  "  historical  statement  concerning  the  public 
policy  of  the  executive  dcjiartment  of  the  Confederate  States," 
as  Sherman's  letter  to  the  "War  Department  is  headed  in  that 
"Ex.  Doc,"  opens  with  the  following  statement:  "That  I 
(Sherman)  had  seen  papers  which  convinced  me  that  even  Mr. 
Davis,  the  President  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  had,  during 
the  progress  of  the  war,  changed  his  State-rights  doctrines,  and 
had  threatened  to  use  force — even  Lee's  army — should  any 
State  of  the  Confederacy  attempt  to  secede  from  that  govern- 
ment." With  the  mental  process  by  which  General  Sherman 
is  "  convinced,"  I  have  no  concern,  but  the  "  ]3apers  "  in  which 
he  alleged  that  I  "threatened"  to  use  force  against  the  States 
of  the  Confederacy,  ought  to  be  tangible  and  producible,  and 
in  an  "historical  statement,"  the  Senate  ought  to  have  demanded 
the  prodiiction  of  the  proofs,  and  on  the  failure  to  produce 
them,  and  after  denial  by  Senators  who  Sherman  alleged 
had  received  them,  such  an  "historical  statement,"  already 
branded  with  falsehood  and  unsupported  by  evidence,  ought  to 
have  been  rejected  with  only  wonder  hoAV  it  got  before  the 
Senate. 

In  the  absence  of  all  authority  for  the  statement,  or  of  any 
creditable  witness.  General  Sherman  asserts  that  I  abandoned 
my  State-rights  doctrine,  the  unsupported  assertion  of  a  man 
whose  reputation  for  veracity  is  not  good,  and  who  could  have 
had  no  personal  knowledge,  must  weigh  light  as  a  feather 
against  all  the  testimony  of  my  ofhcial  life,  as  well  as  against 
the  recollections  of  all  those  most  intimately  connected  with 
me,  not  a  few  of  whom  criticised  my  strict  adherence  to  the 
constitution  and  laws.  His  reiteration,  even  "  a  thousand 
times,"  will  fail  to  convince  any  reasonable  man  that  he  did 
not  know  he  never  had  seen  any  "  papers  "  written  by  me  threat- 
ening to  use  the  army  against  any  State  of  the  Confederacy. 

In  this  connection,  I  may  refer  to  my  action  when  Kentucky 
was  invaded  by  the  United  States  army  and  her  people  pre- 
vented by  military  power  from  acting  for  themselves  on  the 
question  of  secession.     My  personal  friend  and  family  physi* 


366  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

cian,  Dr.  A.  Y,  P,  Garnett,  of  "Washington  city,  in  a  letter  of 
the  17th  of  January  last,  recalls  to  my  memory  the  application 
of  himself  and  other  friends  to  me  to  send  military  aid  into 
Kentucky,  there  to  support  the  friends  of  the  Southern  States. 
My  letter  of  January  22d  to  Dr.  Garnett,  explains  the  princi- 
ples that  guided  me  on  that  occasion.     In  that  letter  I  said : 

"Yours  of  the  17th  instant  has  this  day  been  received  and 
to  your  inquiry  I  reply  that,  though  it  is  not  in  my  power  to 
recite  the  language  employed  in  response  to  you  and  others 
who  urged  me  to  send  Confederate  troops  into  Kentucky  to  pre- 
vent the  Federal  government  from  intimidating  the  legislature 
and  people  of  that  State  by  a  military  occupation,  and  thus 
to  prevent  Kentucky  from  passing  an  ordinance  of  secession,  I 
do  well  remember  that  to  you,  as  to  others,  I  answered  substan- 
tially that  I  would  not  do  such  violence  to  the  rights  of  the 
State.  No  one  could  have  felt  a  deeper  interest  or  more  affec- 
tionate regard  for  Kentucky  than  I  did,  and  it  may  well  be  that 
I  did  not  believe  the  people  of  Kentucky,  the  State  especially 
distinguished  in  the  early  period  of  her  history  for  the  asser- 
tion of  State  rights  and  State  remedies,  could  be  driven  from 
the  maintenance  of  a  creed  which  had  ever  been  her  point  of 
pride. 

"  My  answer,  as  correctly  stated  by  you,  shows  that  my  decis- 
ion was  not  based  on  expediency,  and  however  reluctant  I  may 
have  been  to  reject  the  advice  of  yourself  and  other  friends,  in 
whose  judgment  and  sincerity  I  had  implicit  confidence,  I 
would  not  for  all  the  considerations  involved,  disregard  the 
limitations  of  our  constitution  and  violate  the  cardinal  prin- 
ciple which  had  been  the  guiding  star  of  my  political  life." 

The  use  made  by  General  Sherman  of  an  extract  from  a 
"Southern  paper"  as  evidence  that  I  encouraged  expressions 
of  hostility  to  State  sovereignty,  and  was  thus  preparing  to  sub- 
vert the  very  Confederacy  of  which  I  was  President,  has  drawn 
forth  from  Mr.  Nat.  Tyler,  the  surviving  editor  of  the  Rich- 
mond (Va.)  Enquirer,  the  following  letter; 

"Washington,  D.  C,  January  15,  1885. 

"  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis  : 

"  Dear  Sir — My  attention  has  been  called  to  an  extract 
from  the  Richmond  Enquirer,  which  has  been  incorporated  by 
General  W.  T.  Sherman  in  his  letter  of  January  6,  1885,  to  the 
Secretary  of  War,  and  I  have  been  asked  if  that  extract  is  genu- 
ine. .  I  have  no  means  at  hand  of  ascertaining  whether  or  not  the 
extract  is  from  the  Enquirer ;  but  after  carefully  reading  it,  I  am 


THREE  YEARS  OF  CARNAGE.  SG7 

disposed  to  regard  it  as  genuine.  It  truthfully  represents  the 
views  of  the  editorial  management  of  the  Enquirer  at  that  time. 
I  witnessed  the  extraordinary  efforts  which  the  United  States 
authorities  were  making  for  our  conquest  and  subjugation,  and 
I  considered  it  to  be  the  duty  of  our  people  to  luake  like  sacri- 
fices for  safety  and  liberty.  The 'convention '  referred  to  in 
the  extract  was  the  convention  proposed  in  North  Carolina  in 
the  early  part  of  1864,  in  the  contest  for  governor,  between  Mr. 
Holden  and  Governor  Vance,  and  which  had  for  its  object  to 
give  opportunity  of  action  to  the  incipient  treason  which  was 
rife  in  that  State  under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  Holden.  The 
article  from  the  Enquirer  w^as  intended  to  support  Governor 
Vance  and  the  Confederate  cause,  which  the  management  of 
the  paper  regarded  as  paramount  to  all  other  considerations. 
I  did  not  presume  to  speak  for  you  or  your  administration,  but 
to  utter  what  I  believed  every  true  Confederate  to  hold — that 
the  public  defense  demanded  the  exercise  of  every  energy,  and 
that  all  that  hindered  that  defense  should  be  swept  away  and 
remitted  to  more  peaceful  occa_sions. 

"  The  Enquirer  is  the  '  public  journal '  to  which  Mr.  Stephens 
referred  in  his  letter  to  Hon.  H.  V.  Johnson,  and  which  he  rep- 
resents as  the  'organ '  of  your  administration.  I  very  distinctly 
remember  hil^  coming  to  the  office  and  lecturing  the  editors  on 
their  support  of  the  measures  for  the  public  defense;  but,  as 
his  views  were  visionary  and  impracticable,  his  temper  excited, 
and  his  influence  under  a  cloud,  we  gave  to  his  person  all  re-' 
spect  and  to  his  advice  the  least  attention  that  was  possible. 
He  was  a  good  man  and  a  true  and  zealous  Confederate,  but  his 
*  balance '  was  decidedly  out  of  plumb  in  the  last  year  of  the 
war,  and  in  politics  he  wabbled  whenever  he  discussed  public 
affairs.  I  have  always  believed  if  you  had  assumed  'absolute 
power,'  shot  deserters  and  hung  traitors,  seized  supplies  and 
brought  to  the  front  every  man  capable  of  bearing  arms,  that 
a  different  result  of  the  war  might  have  been  obtained.  But 
your  very  sensitive  respect  for  constitution  and  law,  for  the 
rights  and  sovereignties  of  States,  is  attested  by  the  fact  that 
the  wildest  license  was  allowed  to  the  press,  and  that,  right 
under  your  nose,  to  use  INIr.  Stephens's  expression,  the  Examiner 
daily  expressed  sentiments  of  opposition  to  your  measures, 
which,  if  any  newspaper  in  the  United  States  had  dared  to 
publish  against  Mr.  Lincoln's  recommendations,  its  editor 
would  have  been  promptly  imprisoned.  By  any  comparison 
that  can  be  made  between  your  administration  and  that  of 
President  Lincoln,  history  will  award  to  you  far  more  respect 
for  the  essential  features  of  personal  liberty,  for  deference  paid 


m  TSE  DA  VIS  MEMOltlAL  VOL  VMM. 

to  State  authority,  and  for  respect  shown  for  constitutional 
restraint. 

"With  the  best  wishes  for  your  continued  good  health,  I  am, 
dear  sir,  your  sincere  friend, 

"Nat.  Tyler." 

It  is  apparent  that  this  so-called  *'  historical  statement "  had 
been  seen  by  Republican  Senators,  and  that  they  were  not 
ignorant  of  its  real  character  when  the  Hawley  resolution  was 
under  discussion  in  the  Senate.  Those  Senators  then  knew 
that  General  Sherman  had,  in  his  letter  of  January  6,  1885,  to 
the  Secretary  of  War,  changed  the  issue  between  us  from  one 
of  veracity  to  a  rambling,  shuffling  discussion  of  a  "conspi- 
racy "  and  of  "  conspirators  "  in  the  winter  of  1860-'61,  and  that 
which  at  the  Frank  Blair  Post  may  have  been  "a  ivhitelie,"  not 
intended  for  publication,  came  before  the  Senate  as  an  "  his- 
torical statement,"  bolstered  with  other  falsehoods  equally  with- 
out foundation  or  support  in  anything  written  or  uttered  by 
me.  It  now  survives  as  an  "  Ex.  Doc."  of  picturesque  prevari- 
cation. 

I  know  nothing  of  any  "  conspiracy  "  or  of  any  "conspira- 
tors." There  was  no  secrecy  about  any  of  the  political  affairs 
which  led  to  the  secession  of  the  States  in  1860-'61.  There 
was  no  possibility  of  any  concealment.  The  people  were  ad- 
vised by  the  press,  they  acted  knowingly,  and  the  results, 
through  all  their  various  phases,  were  necessarily  known  to  the 
people,  by  whom  they  were  ratified  and  confirmed.  To  talk 
now  of  conspiracy  and  conspirators  is  shallow  nonsense,  and 
notwithstanding  Sherman  says  that  he  "  was  approached  by  a 
number  of  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,"  that  accusation 
will  be  dismissed  as  the  coinage  of  political  demagogues.  If 
Sherman  was  approached  by  "  conspirators "  they  knew  their 
man ;  they  may  have  heard  of  his  conversation  at  Vicksburg, 
his  expressions  of  approval  of  Southern  action,  his  talk  of  the 
"  d — d  Yankees  "  to  Governor  Roper,  and  such  expressions,  and 
may  have  regarded  him  as  a  fit  conspirator  with  themselves. 
No  man  ever  insulted  me  by  approaching  me  with  suggestions 
of  conspiracy. 

As  to  the  action  taken  at  the  conference  of  some  of  the 
Southern  Senators  in  January,  1861,  and  which  is  introduced 
in  this  "historical  statement"  as  evidence  of  a  "conspiracy," 
it  is  only  necessary  to  say  to  those  Senators  who,  in  the  debate 
on  the  Hawley  resolution,  referred  to  the  letter  of  D.  L.  Yulee 
to  Joseph  Finnegan,  and  the  resolutions  attached  thereto,  that 
the  resolutions  were  forwarded  to  the  conventions  of  the  States 


THREE  YEARS  OF  CARNAGE.  369 

then  in  session,  and  that  they  were  the  resolutions  of  Senators 
representing  those  States  conveying  to  the.  conventions  of  the 
States  the  views  of  tlie  Senators,  Those  resolutions  were  not 
discovered  by  General  Sherman ;  they  were  not  dug  up  from 
beneath  the  sod  in  any  yard  through  which  he  marched.  They 
were  necessarily  public  since  they  were  sent  to  conventions  of 
the  States,  and  they  were  printed  in  the  newspapers.  To  speak 
of  such  action  as  a  conspiracy,  as  Senator  Sherman  did  in  the 
debate  on  the  Hawley  resolution,  shows  to  what  defense  he  was 
driven  to  assist  his  brother  out  of  the  mire  of  mendacity  in 
which  he  Avas  floundering. 

It  was  the  opinion  of  that  conference,  in  1861,  that  secession 
was  the  only  remedy  left  to  the  States ;  that  every  effort  to 
preserve  peace  had  failed,  mainly  through  the  action  of  th^t 
portion  of  the  Republican  party  which  refused  all  propositions 
for  adjustment  made  by  those  who  sought,  in  January,  1861,  to 
justify  confidence,  insure  peace,  and  preserve  the  Union.  In 
the  same  month  in  which  that  conference  was  held,  I  served  on 
a  committee  raised  by  the  Senate  to  seek  some  possible  mode 
of  quelling  the  excitement  that  then  existed.  That  committee 
was  composed  of  the  three  political  divisions  of  the  Senate, 
and  it  was  considered  useless  to  report  any  measure  which  did 
not  receive  the  (Concurrence  of  at  least  a  majority  of  e'ach  divi- 
sion. The  Republican  Senators  rejected  every  proposition  that 
promised  pacification,  and  the  committee  reported  to  the  Sen- 
ate that  their  consultation  was  a  failure.  Was  there  less  con- 
spiracy in  the  Republican  senators  combining  to  prevent  paci- 
fication than  there  was  in  Southern  Senators  uniting  in  confer- 
ence to  advise  the  conventions  of  their  States  that  their  cause 
was  hopeless  in  Washington?  Mr.  Douglas^  of  Illinois,  assailed 
the  Republican  side  of  the  Senate  for  their  refusal  to  accept 
any  terms  that  were  offered  to  them,  and  demanded  to  know 
what  they  proposed  to  do,  and  in  that  connection  referred  to 
Senator  Toombs  and  myself  as  having  been  willing  to  accept 
the  line  of  36°  30',  or  the  Missouri  compromise,  and  that  the 
Republican  Senators  rejected  the  proposition.  Which  were  the 
conspirators,  the  Senators  who  offered  the  Missouri  compromise 
for  the  sake  of  peace,  or  the  Senators  who  rejected  that  offering 
in  order  to  enjoy  ''a  little  blood-letting?"  The  venerable  Senator 
Crittenden,  of  the  committee,  used  all  his  power  and  influence 
on  the  side  of  the  peaceful  efforts  of  the  Southern  Senators,  and 
not  unfrequently  expressed  himself  in  the  most  decided  terms 
as  to  the  conduct  of  the  opposition.  Party  necessity  may  attri- 
bute the  actions  of  the  Southern  Senators  to  conspiracy,  but  his- 
tory will  treat  the  actors  of  those  days  as  they  deserve,  and  to 
24 


g70  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

her  verdict,  in  common  witli  my  compatriots  in  that  trying 
hour,  the  issue  is  re/erred. 

The  epithets  which  Senator  Sherman  in  the  dehate  applied 
to  myself,  are  his  mode  of  retaliation  for  my  denunciation  of 
his  brother.  I  have  been  compelled  to  prove  General  Sherman 
to  be  a  falsifier  and  a  slanderer  in  order  to  protect  my  charac- 
ter and  reputation  from  his  willful  and  unscrupulous  menda- 
city. If  his  brother,  the  Senator,  felt  the  sting  of  that  expo- 
sure, and  his  epithets  are  any  relief,  I  am  content  that  he  shall 
go  on  the  record  as  denouncing  me  as  a  "  traitor"  because  I  have 
proved  his  brother  to  be  a  liar. 

As  the  Republican  party  renounced  the  issue  of  treason  when 
it  abandoned  my  trial  in  1867,  not  at  my  instance,  but  in  face 
of  my  defiance,  its  leaders  of  the  present  day  but  stultify  them- 
selves in  the  cry  of  traitor  which  they  raise  at  the  mention  of 
my  name.  This  is  more  a  matter  of  trafl&c  than  of  argument,  but 
as  it  serves  to  keep  alive  the  issues  and  prejudices  of  the  war 
period,  it  is  a  device  which,  as  politicians,  they  may  not  like 
to  abandon.  It  is  not  surprising  that  the  politicians  of  a  party 
which,  in  the  mad  fury  of  its  passions,  deliberately  hung  a 
harmless  and  helpless  woman,  should  continue  to  keep  warm 
their  malice  against  an  old  soldier,  and  long  a  civil  official,  by 
the  frequent  use  of  epithets.  If  it  affords  them  any  relief,  it 
costs  me  so  little  concern  that  it  would  be  uncharitable  to  deny 
them  the  enjoyment  they  take  in  hurling  epithets  at  me,  a 
game  in  which  any  fishwoman  might  successfully  compete. 

The  Senate,  when  about  to  give  its  sanction  to  General  Sher- 
man's "'  historical  statement,"  ought,  in  fairness,  to  have  de- 
manded of  him  the  production  of  the  verifying  letters,  papers, 
and  information  within  his  knowledge  or  possession.  He  says 
in  that  "Ex.  Doc":  ''But  of  him  (myself)  I  have  personal 
knowledge,  not  meant  for  publication,  but  to  become  a  part  of 
the  '  Traditions  of  the  Civil  War,'  which  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic  will  preserve.'  What  fair  and  honorable  purpose 
could  the  Senate  have  had  in  sanctioning  such  a  base  and  in- 
flamous  inuendo,  as  that  above  quoted  from  page  3  of  the  "Ex. 
Doc"?  If  that  "personal  knowledge"  is  withheld  from  publi- 
cation for  the  purposes  of  future  slanders,  surely  the  Senate 
ought  not -to  have  made  itself  a  party  to  that  malice  which 
hides  its  slanders  until  their  subject  shall  have  passed  away, 
and  contradiction  and  exposure  become  difficult,  if  not  impos- 
sible. But  I  am  not  apprehensive  of  Sherman's  additions  to 
the  "Traditions  of  the  Civil  War ;"  he  stands  pilloried  before 
the  public  and  all  future  history  as  an  imbecile  scold  or  an  in- 
famous slanderer — as  either,  he  is  harmless. 


THtt:^E  YEAHS  of  carnage.  371 

The  statement  on  page  3,  that  a  box  containing  private 
papers  of  mine  was  found  at  the  house  of  my  brother,  Joseph 
E.  Davis,  is  untrue.  The  error  in  the  place  where  a  box  was 
seized  by  his  j^iUagers  woukl  not  have  been  material  if  made 
by  a  truthful  man,  but  when  an  habitual  falsifier  falls  into 
even  a  slight  error  of  locality,  it  is  not  surprising  that  he 
should  be  suspected  of  having  intentionally  fixed  upon  my 
brother's  residence  to  give  point  and  probability  to  some  other 
falsehood.  The  box  of  papers  was  found  at  a  farmer's  house 
several  miles  away  from  my  brother's  and  the  box  did  not  con- 
tain a  single  letter  written  to  me  or  by  me  at  Montfiomenj.  There- 
fore Sherman's  statement  that  he  abstracted  from  that  box 
three  letters  which  had  been  written  to  me  by  loyal  officers  of 
the  United  States  army,  and  returned  to  the  writers  to  protect 
them  from  the  suspicion  of  complicity  with  the  government 
of  Montgomery,  can  have  no  other  foundation  in  truth  than, 
probably,  the  discovery  of  letters  written  at  former  times  and 
received  by  me  before  the  inauguration  of  the  Confederate 
government  at  Montgomery. 

It  is  due  to  the  memory  of  the  late  Alexander  H.  Stephens, 
whose  letter  to  Herschel  V.  Johnson  has  been,  made  the  founda- 
tion for  this  viij^e  assault  upon  myself,  to  say,  that  if  the  letter 
is  genuine,  and  has  not  been  altered  to  serve  Sherman's  malice 
against  myself,  that  it  was  written  under  excitement  and  Avheu 
disappointment  and  apprehension  of  our  overthrow  had  influ- 
enced his  judgment  and  opinion,  and  that  this  private  letter, 
written  under  its  attending  circumstances,  never  intended  for 
publication,  and  expressing  hasty  opinions,  will  not  be  allowed 
to  cast  its  shadow  over  the  carefully  prepared  history  of  the 
war  which  Mr.  Stephens  has  left  to  inform  posterity  of  his 
views  of  public  men  and  measures.  I  will  be  pardoned  for 
extracting  from  Mr.  Stephens's  "  War  between  the  States" 
remarks  comjilimentary  to  myself,  since  they  completely  refute 
the  purpose  for  which  the  Johnson  letter  has  been  produced. 
In  Volume  II,  page  624-5,  commenting  upon  the  meeting  at  the 
African  church,  in  Richmond  after  the  unsuccessful  effort  for 
peace  in  Hampton  Roads,  Mr.  Stephens  says : 

"  Many  who  had  heard  this  master  of  oratory  in  his  most 
brilliant  displays  in  the  Senate  and  on  the  hustings  said  they 
never  before  saw  Mr.  Davis  so  really  majestic  !  The  occasion 
and  the  etTects  of  the  speech,  as  well  as  all  the  circamslancea 
under  which  it  Avas  made,  caused  the  minds  of  not  a  few  to 
revert  to  appeals  by  Rienzi  and  Demosthenes. 

"  However  much  I  admired  the  heroism  of  the  sentiment  ex- 
pressed, yet  in  his  general  views  or  policy  to  be  pursued  in  the 


372  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

then  situation  I  could  not  concur.  I  doubt  not  that  all — the 
President,  the  Cabinet  and  Congress — did  the  very  best  they  coidd, 
from  their  own  convictions  of  what  was  best  to  be  done  at  the 
time." 

In  the  same  volume,  on  page  657,  Mr.  Stephens  speaks  of  me 
as  a  man  "  of  very  strong  convictions  and  great  earnestness  of 
purpose."  In  a  conversation  had  during  the  summer  of  1863, 
which  was  reduced  to  writing  at  the  time,  Mr,   Stephens  said:. 

"  The  hardships  growing  out  of  our  military  arrangements  are 
not  the  fault  of  the  President  j  *  *  *  they  are  due  to  his  sub- 
ordinates." 

In  October  of  the  same  year,  ("  Life  of  A.  H.  Stephens,"  by 
Johnson  &  Browne,  pages  445-47,)  he  wrote  to  a  friend  who  had 
asked  what  would  be  his  probable  course  in  the  event  of  the 
death  of  myself,  as  follows  : 

"I  should  regard  the  death  of  the  President  as  the  greatest 
posdhle  'public  calamity.  What  I  should  do  I  know  not.  A  large 
number  of  prominent  and  active  men  in  the  country  *  * 
would  distrust  my  ability  to  conduct  affairs  successfully.  They 
have  now,  and  would  have,  no  confidence  in  my  judgment  or  ca- 
'pacity  for  the  position  that  such  an  untimely  misfortune  would 
cast  upon  me." 

These  passages  (and  others  might  be  selected  from  the  writ- 
ings of  Mr.  Stephens  since  the  war)  bear  voluntary  and  invol- 
untary testimony  to  my  character  and  motives,  and  more  than 
answer  the  complaints  contained  in  the  letter  to  Mr.  H.  V. 
Johnson,  and  in  the  canvass  just  preceding  his  death.  Mr. 
Stephens  said  that  the  only  difference  between  us  during  the 
war  was  as  to  the  policy  of  shipping  the  cotton  crop  of  1861  to 
Europe.  That  criticism,  when  made  by  another,  was  fully  an- 
swered by  Mr.  Trenholm  and  Mr.  Memminger,  the  two  secreta- 
ries of  the  Confederate  States  treasury,  in  which  they  very 
clearly  showed  that  the  cotton  crop  of  1861  had  been  mainly 
exported  before  the  Confederate  government  was  formed,  and 
that  if  reference  was  made  to  any  later  crop,  the  Confederacy 
had  no  ships  in  which  to  export  it,  and  the  blockade  prevented, 
to  a  great  extent,  foreign  ships  from  taking  the  cotton  out. 

The  ^'secret  message"  which  is  printed  in  this  "historical  state- 
ment" was  communicated  to  the  Confederate  States  Congress, 
and  recommended  the  suspension  of  \h.Q  v^'xit  oi  habeas  corpus. 
The  reasons  for  that  recommendation  are  fully  set  forth  in  the 
message.  It  was  an  application  to  Congress  for  authority  to 
suspend  the  writ,  and  it  was  within  the  constitutional  power  of 
Congress  to  grant  the  authority.  It  was  a  measure  of  public 
defense  against  schemes  and  plots  of  enemies  which  could  not 


THREE  YEARS  OF  CARNAGE.  373 

be  reached  under  the  process  of  law.  On  two  occasions  was 
that  extraordinary  remedy  resorted  to,  and  each  was  by  author- 
ity of  Congress.  But  even  when  the  writ  was  suspended,  no 
head  of  any  cabinet  department  kept  a  "little  bell,"  the  tinkle 
of  which  consigned  to  prison  men  like  Teackle  Wallis,  George 
William  Brown,  John  Merrtman,  Charles  Ploward,  Judge  Car- 
michael  dragged  otf.  the  bench,  and  which  became  as  fearful  to 
the  people  as  the  letters-de  cachet  of  the  tyrants  of  Paris.  Mar- 
tial law  followed  the  armies  of  the  United  States,  and  provost 
marshals  were  often  the  judges  that  passed  upon  the  person  and 
property  of  ladies,  children  and  old  men,  and  the  venerable 
Chief  Justice  Taney  was  not  spared  the  humiliation  of  seeing 
even  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  brought  to  under- 
stand that  the  civil  had  become  subordinate  to  the  military 
authority. 

The  conscript  law  in  the  Confederate  States,  and  the  draft  in 
the  United  States,  were  measures  adopted  by  the  respective 
Congresses,  and  not  acts  of  either  Mr.  Lincoln  or  myself.  They 
were  both  measures  of  public  defense,  intended  to  equalize  the 
burden  of  military  duty,  as  far  as  it  was  compatible  with  the 
public  defense.  As  well  might  we  leave  revenue  to  be  provided 
by  voluntary  contribution,  instead  of  by  general  taxation,  or  the 
roads  to  be  worked  by  the  willing  and  industrious,  instead  of 
distributing  the  burden  equitably  over  the  whole  people.  Yet 
the  Senators  that  callea  for  this  "historical  statement"  will 
hardly  hold  that  President  Lincoln  was  seeking  a  dictatorship 
because  he  enforced  the  draft. 

This  "historical  statement "  might  nave  been  enlarged  and 
extended  by  the  Senate,  and  made  to  embrace  the  deliberate 
misrepresentation  by  General  Sherman  of  the  Communication 
to  him  by  Colonel  J.  D.  Stevenson,  in  regard  to  Albert  Sidney 
Johnston's  command  m  San  Francisco.-  In- a  letter  to  Colonel 
William  H.  Knight,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  dated  October  28, 
1884,  General  Sherman  asserted  that  "Colonel  J.  D.  Stevenson, 
now  living  in  San  Francisco,  has  often  told  me  that  he  had 
cautioned  the  government  as  to  a  plot  or  conspiracy,  through 
the  department  commander,  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  to  deliver 
possession  of  the  forts,  etc.,  to  men  in  California  sympathizing 
with  the  rebels  in  the  South,  and  he  thinks  it  was  by  his  advice 
that  the  President  (Lincoln)  sent  General  E.V.Sumner  to 
relieve  Johnston  of  his  command  before  the  conspiracy  was 
consummated."  That  statement  of  Sherman,  the  veteran 
Colonel  J.  D.  Stevenson  promptly  and  emphatically  denied,  say- 
ing: "The  history  of  this  matter  was  published  fully  and  in 
detail  in  the  San  Francisco  Evening  Post  in  its  issue  of  October 


874  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

9, 1880.  What  reports  General  Keyes  may  have  made  to  the 
authorities  at  Washington,  I  do  not  know  ;  but  that  the  removal 
cf  General  Johnston  was  the  means  of  preventing  a  Pacific 
republic,  I  do  not  for  an  instant  believe;  for  neither  at  the 
tune  of  General  Sumner's  taking  command  and  relieving  Gen- 
eral Johnston,  nor  at  any  time  afterward,  do  I  believe  any 
uprising  or  conspiracy  was  contemplated."  Colonel  Stevenson 
adds  that  General  Sumner  held  General  Albert  Sidney  John- 
ston to  be  "  a  soldier,  a  gentleman  and  an  honorable  man ;  he  is 
incapable  of  betraying  a  trust."  That  slander  against  General 
Albert  Sidney  Johnston  was  as  equally  unnecessary  and  as 
uncalled  for  as  the  wholly  gratuitious  assault  upon  myself. 

General  Grant  himself  has  not  been  exempt  from  Sherman's 
malice.  To  Colonel  Scott,  Sherman  wrote,  "  if  C.  J.  Smith  had 
lived  Grant  would  have  disappeared  to  history."  This  remark- 
able statement  was  published  by  General  Fry  and  pointedly 
and  emphatically  denied  by  General  Sherman.  Prompt  to 
slander,  he  is  equally  quick  to  deny  his  language.  The  letter 
of  Sherman  dated  September  6,  1883,  was  wa-itten  to  Colonel 
Scott,  now  of  the  War  Record  office.  The  denial  of  Sherman 
has  caused  the  publication  of  the  letter  and  exposure  of  his 
hypocrisy  in  recent  laudation  of  the  dead  chieftain. 

The  deliberate  falsehood  which  Sherman  inserted  in  his 
official  report,  that  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  had  been  burned 
by  General  Wade  Hampton,  was  afterwards  confessed  in  his 
"  Memoirs  "  to  have  been  "  distinctly  charged  on  General  Wade 
Hampton  to  shake  the  faith  of  his  people  in  him."  Even  when 
confessing  one  falsehood  he  deliberately  coined  another,  and 
on  the  same  page  of  his  "Memoirs"  said  that  the  fire  "was 
accidental,"  when  he  knew  from  the  letter  of  General  Stone, 
who  commanded  the  provost  guard  in  Columbia,  that  the  fire 
was  not  accidental.  How  much  more  he  knew,  he  may  in 
future  "  Memoirs  "  or  "  statements  "  reveal. 

Can  any  man  imagine  less  moral  character,  less  conception 
of  truth,  less  regard  for  what  an  official  report  should  contain, 
than  is  shown  by  Sherman  deliberately  concocting  a  falsehood 
for  the  dishonorable  purpose  of  shaking  the  faith  of  the  peo- 
ple of  South  Carolina  in  their  fellow-citizen,  General  Wade 
Hampton  ?  His  election  to  be  governor  of  that  State  by  the 
votes  of  a  larger  majority  of  her  people  of  every  race  than  was 
ever  polled  before  or  since ;  his  elevation  to  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States,  and  the  respect,  admiration,  and  regard  which 
is  shown  to  him,  must  be  particularly  vexing  to  the  Shermans, 
and  may  have  suggested  to  the  general  to  "  hedge "  in  his 
"  Memoirs  "  and  confess  his  wrong-doing.     Such  an  act  of  pen- 


THREE  YEARS  OF  CARNAGE.  375 

ance,  if  it  brought  true  and  genuine  repentance,  would  have 
protected  the  memory  of  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  the  fame 
of  General  Grant,  and  my  own  reputation  from  the  slanders 
which  called  forth  this  exposure.  It  would  also  have  prevented 
the  United  States  Senate  from  having  indorsed  a  falsehood, 
which  is  liable  to  be  confessed  when  another  volume  of  "  Me- 
moirs "  shall  be  prepared. 

I  have  in  this  vindication,  not  of  myself  only,  but  also  of  the 
people  who  honored  me  with  the  highest  official  position  in 
their  gift,  been  compelled  to  group  together  instances  of  re- 
peated falsehoods  deliberately  spoken  and  written  by  General 
Sherman — the  Blair  Post  slander  of  myself,  the  defamation  of 
the  character  of  General  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  the  dispar- 
agement of  the  military  fame  of  General  Grant,  and  the  shame- 
ful and  corrupt  charge  against  General  Hampton.  I  have 
prepared  this  examination  and  exposure  only  because  the  Sen- 
ate of  the  United  States  has  given  to  Sherman's  slander  an 
indorsement  which  gives  it  whatever  claims  it  may  have  to 
attention  and  of  power  to  mislead  in  the  future.  Having  spe- 
cifically stamped  the  statement  as  false,  having  proved  its 
author  to  be  an  habitual  slanderer,  and  not  having  a  partisan  sec- 
retary to  make  ^  place  for  this  noticeof  a  personal  tirade,  which 
was  neither  an  official  report  nor  record  made  during  the  war, 
so  as  to  entitle  it  to  be  received  at  the  office  of  archives,  I  sub- 
mit it  to  the  public  through  the  columns  of  a  newspaper  which 
discountenances  foul  play  and  misrepresentation,  and  which 
was  kind  and  just  to  me  in  saying  in  its  issue  of  January  14, 
1885 : 

"  The  Sherman  statement  was  altogether  one-sided ;  Mr. 
Davis  had  yet  to  be  heard  from,  and  for  the  Republicans  of  the 
Senate  to  force  a  snap  judgment  upon  the  Sherman  statement 
without  hearing  what  Mr.  Davis  had  to  say  about  it,  smacks 
more  of  the  political  partisan  than  of  the  fair-minded  adver- 
saiy."  The  public,  through  The  Sun,  has  this,  my  reply,  and 
can  dispense  its  "  even-handed  justice  "  with  full  knowledge  of 
the  facts. 

Very  smcereiy  yours, 

Jeffekson  DAVig» 


XVI. 

CLOSE    OF   THE   WAR— CAPTURE    AND 
IMPRISONMENT. 

It  is  useless  to  speculate  now  as  to  how  near  the  Confed' 
eracy  came  to  success,  and  why  it  did  not  succeed. 

There  are  those  who  believe  that  if  the  routed  "grand  army" 
at  first  Manassas  had  been  vigorously  pursued — as  Mr.  Davis 
was  anxious  should  be  done — we  would  have  easily  captured 
Washington  and  ended  the  war  by  that  brilliant  campaign. 

Stonewall  Jackson  always  believed  this,  and  it  is  said  that 
while  his  wound  was  being  dressed  on  that  day  he  threw  aside 
the  surgeons,  when  seeing  the  President  approaching  with 
Generals  Johnston  and  Beauregard,  and  tossing  nis  old  cadet 
cap  in  the  air,  enthusiastically  exclaimed :  "  Here  comes  the 
President !  Hurrah  for  the  President ! !  Give  me  ten  thousand 
men  and  I'll  be  in  AVashington  to-night!!!" 

Some  of  the  ablest  of  our  military  critics  believe — General 
Lee  himself  died  believing  and  Mr.  Davis  always  firmly 
believed — that  if  Lee's  orders  had  been  obeyed  at  Gettysburg 
the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  would  have  won  a  decisive 
victory,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  would  have  been  routed, 
Baltimore  and  Washington  (if  not  Philadelphia  and  New  York) 
would  have  been  captured,  and  the  independence  of  the  Con- 
federacy established. 

Under  the  caption  of ''Within  a  Stone's  Throw  of  Indepen- 
dence at  Gettysburg"  there  was  published  in  the  Southern  His- 
iorical  Society  Papers  an  article  from  a  member  of  the  Britislj 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR.  377 

Parliament,  in  which  he  said  that  not  long  before  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg,  Disraeli  had  determined  to  introduce  resolutions 
acknowledging  the  Southern  Confederacy — that  he  had  tho- 
roughly prepared  himself  for  a  great  speech  on  the  subject — 
and  that  the  whole  matter  had  been  canvassed  among  the 
members,  and  the  resolutions  would  have  passed  by  an  over- 
whelming vote — but  that  on  the  very  day  before  the  one  fixed 
for  their  introduction  news  came  of  Lee's  defeat  at  Gettysburg 
and  the  capture  of  Vicksburg,  and  it  was  determined  to  indefi- 
nitely postpone  the  measure.  But  several  distinguished  Fed- 
eral generals  have  stated  that  just  after  the  battle  of  second 
Cold  Harbor,  in  June,  1864,  was  the  time  when  the  Confederacy 
was  nearest  independence. 

General  Grant  had  made  his  campaign  from  the  Rapidan 
and  in  that  series  of  terrific  battles  had  been  foiled  at  every 
point,  had  lost  more  men  than  General  Lee  had,  until  after  the 
terrible  slaughter  at  Cold  Harbor  his  brave  men  refused  to 
obey  orders  to  make  another  attack,  and  (as  Swinton  puts  it  in 
his  "Army  of  the  Potomac")  "the  immobile  lines  pronounced 
a  verdict  silent  but  emphatic  against  further  slaughter." 

The  statement  is  that  after  this  battle,  and  the  complete 
demonstration  of  the  fact  that  Grant  could  no  longer  "  fight  it 
out  on  this  line,"  Mr.  Lincoln  became  very  much  discouraged 
and  had  decided  that  "the  time  had  come  for  negotiations," 
and  had  directed  Mr.  Seward  to  prepare  a  proclamation  to  this 
effect,  but  that  before  the  proclamation  was  issued  more  favor- 
able news  came  from  Sherman  and  it  was  suppressed. 

Whether  this  statement  is  true  we  cannot  say — though  it  is 
made  on  very  high  authority  and  we  believe  it — but  we  do 
affirm  that  after  Cold  Harbor  our  army  was  in  high  spirits 
and  our  government  and  people  decidedly  hopeful,  and  there 
seems  but  little  doubt  that  if  the  other  Confederate  armies 
could  have  maintained  themselves  as  well  as  did  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia  we  should  have  WOQ. 


878  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

But  General  Grant  with  his  immense  army  sat  down  to  the 
siege  of  Petersburg — a  position  which  he  might  have  taken  at 
first  without  firing  a  shot  or  losing  a  man — and  with  illimit- 
able resources  of  men  and  supplies  continued  his  campaign  of 
"attrition"  all  of  the  summer  and  autumn  and  winter,  until 
our  army  dwindled  to  35,000  men  to  guard  forty  miles  of 
breastworks  and  oppose  140,000  splendidly  equipped  and 
abundantly  supplied  men,  and  our  thin  lines  "  were  stretched 
until  they  broke,"  and  the  sad  end  came.  Meantime  Sher- 
man's capture  of  Atlanta  and  march  through  Georgia  and  the 
Carolinas,  and  Hood's  disastrous  campaign  into  Tennessee  had 
sealed  the  fate  of  the  Confederacy. 

But  amid  all  of  these  disasters  President  Davis  was  calm, 
brave,  and  determined. 

We  give  as  illustrating  his  view  of  the  situation  in  March, 
1865,  the  last  message  he  ever  sent  to  Congress* 

PRESIDENT  DAVIS'S  LAST  MESS> 

"  To  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  Confederate 
States  of  America: 

"  When  informed  on  Thursday  last  that  it  was  the  intention 
of  Congress  to  adjourn  sine  die  on  the  ensuing  Saturday,  I 
deemed  it  my  duty  to  request  a  postponement  of  the  adjourn- 
ment, in  order  that  I  might  submit  for  your  consideration, 
certain  matters  of  public  interest  which  are  now  laid  before 
you.  When  that  request  was  made,  the  most  important  meas- 
ures that  had  occupied  your  attention  during  the  session  had 
not  been  so  far  advanced  as  to  be  submitted  for  Executive 
action,  and  the  state  of  the  country  had  been  so  materially 
affected  by  the  events  of  the  last  four  months  as  to  evince  the 
necessity  of  further  and  more  energetic  legislation  than  was 
contemplated  in  November  last. 

"  Our  country  is  now  environed  with  perils  which  it  is  our 
duty  calmly  to  contemplate.  Thus  alone  can  the  measures 
necessary  to  avert  threatened  calamities  be  wisely  and  eff].^ 
giently  enforced, 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR.  379 

"  Recent  military  operations  of  the  enemy  liave  been  suc- 
cessful in  the  capture  of  some  of  our  seaports,  in  interrupting 
some  of  our  lines  of  communication,  and  in  devastating  large 
districts  of  our  country.  These  events  have  had  the  natural 
effect  of  encouraging  our  foes  and  dispiriting  many  of  our 
people.  The  capital  of  the  Confederate  States  is  now  threat- 
ened, and  is  in  greater  danger  than  it  has  heretofore  been 
during  the  war.  The  fact  is  stated  without  reserve  or  conceal- 
ment, as  due  to  the  people  whose  servants  we  are,  and  in  whose 
courage  and  constancy  entire  trust  is  reposed  as  due  to  you, 
in  whose  wisdom  and  resolute  spirit  the  people  have  confided 
for  the  adoption  of  the  measures  required  to  guard  them  from 
threatened  perils. 

"  While  stating  to  you  that  our  country  is  in  danger,  I  desire 
also  to  state  my  deliberate  conviction  that  it  is  within  our 
power  to  avert  the  calamities  which  menace  us,  and  to  secure 
the  triumph  of  the  sacred  cause  for  which  so  much  sacrifice 
has  been  made,  so  much  suffering  endured,  so  many  precious 
lives  been  Idgt.  This  result  is  to  be  obtained  by  fortitude,  by 
courage,  by  constancy  in  endurmg  the  sacrifices  still  needed ; 
in  a  word,  by  the  prompt  and  resolute  devotion  of  the  whole 
resources  of  men  and  money  in  the  Confederacy  to  the  achieve- 
ment of  our  liberties  and  independence. 

"  The  measures  now  required,  to  be  successful,  should  be 
prompt.  Long  deliberation  and  protracted  debate  over  impor- 
tant measures  are  not  only  natural,  but  laudable,  in  repre- 
sentative assemblies  under  ordinary  circumstances;  but  in 
moments  of  danger,  when  action  becomes  urgent,  the  delay 
thus  caused  is  itself  a  new  source  of  peril.  Thus  it  has  unfor- 
tunately happened  that  some  of  the  measures  passed  by  you 
in  pursuance  of  the  recommendations  contained  in  rny  mes- 
sage of  November  last,  have  been  so  retarded  as  to  lose  much 
of  their  value,  or  have,  for  the  same  reason,  been  abandoned 
after  being  matured,  because  no  longer  applicable  to  our 
altered  condition ;  and  others  have  not  been  brought  under 
examination.  In  making  these  remarks,  it  is  far  from  my 
intention  to  attribute  the  loss  of  time  to  any  other  causes  than 
those  inherent  in  deliberative  assemblies,  but  only  urgently  to 
recommend  prompt  action  upon  the  measures  now  submitted. 

"  We  need,  for  carrying  on  the  war  successfully,  men 
and  supplies  for  the  army.  We  have  both  within  our  country 
sufiicient  to  attain  success. 


380  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

"  To  obtain  the  supplies  it  is  necessary  to  protect  productiv& 
districts,  guard  our  lines  of  communication  by  an  increase  in 
the  number  of  our  forces;  and  hence  it  results,  that  with  a 
large  augmentation  in  the  number  of  men  in  the  army,  the 
facility  of  supplying  the  troops  would  be  greater  than  with  our 
recent  reduced  strength.  -« 

"  For  the  purchase  of  supplies  now  required,  especially  for  the 
armies  in  Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  the  treasury  must  be 
provided  with  means,  and  a  modification  in  the  impressment 
law  is  required.  It  has  been  ascertained  by  examination  that  we 
have  within  our  reach  a  sufficiency  of  what  is  most  needed  for 
the  army,  and  without  having  recourse  to  the  ample  provision 
existing  in  those  parts  of  the  Confederacy  with  which  our 
communication  has  been  partially  interrupted  b}'  hostile  ope- 
rations. But  in  some  districts  from  which  supplies  are  to  be 
drawn  the  inhabitants,  being  either  within  the  enemy's  lines 
or  in  very  close  proximity,  are  unable  to  make  use  of  Confede- 
rate treasur}^  notes  for  the  purchase  of  articles  of  prime  neces- 
sity; and  it  is  necessary  that,  to  some  extent,  coin  be  paid  in 
order  to  obtain  supplies.  It  is,  therefore,  recommended  that 
Congress  devise  the  means  for  making  available  the  coin  with- 
in the  Confederacy  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  army. 
The  ofiicers  of  the  supply  departments  report  that,  with  two 
millions  of  dollars  in  coin,  the  armies  in  Virginia  and  North 
Carolina  can  be  amply  supplied  for  the  remainder  of  the  year; 
and  the  knowledge  of  this  fact  should  suffice  to  insure  the 
adoption  of  the  measures  necessary  to  obtain  this  moderate 
sum. 

''  The  impressment  law,  as  it  now  exists,  prohibits  the  public 
officers  from  impressing  supplies  without  making  payment  of 
the  valuation  at  the  time  of  impressment.  The  limit  fixed 
for  the  issue  of  treasury  notes  has  been  nearly  reached,  and 
the  treasury  cannot  easily  furnish  the  funds  necessary  for 
prompt  payment,  while  the  law  for  raising  revenue,  which 
would  have  afforded  means  for  diminishing,  if  not  removing 
this  difficulty,  w^as  unfortunately  delayed  for  several  months, 
and  has  just  been  signed.  In  this  condition  of  things  it  is 
impossible  to  supply  the  army,  although  ample  stores  may 
exist  in  the  country,  wdienever  the  owners  refuse  to  give  credit 
to  the  public  officer.  It  is  necessary  that  this  restriction  on 
the  power  of  impressment  be  removed.  The  power  is  admitted 
to  be  objectionable,  liable  to  abuse,  and  unequal  in  its  opera- 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAlt.  381 

tionon  individuals;  yet  all  these  objections  must  yield  to  abso- 
lute necessity.  It  is  also  suggested  that  the  system  of  valua- 
tion now  established  ought  to  be  radically  changed.  The 
legislation  requires,  in  such  cases  of  impressment,  that  tho 
market  price  be  paid;  but  there  is  really  no  market  price  in 
many  cases,  and  then  valuation  is  made  arbitrarily  and  in  a 
depreciated  currency.  The  result  is  that  the  most  extravagant 
prices  are  fixed,  such  as  no  one  expects  ever  to  be  paid  in  coin. 
None  believe  that  the  government  can  ever  redeem  in  coin 
the  obligation  to  pay  fifty  dollars  a  bushel  for  corn,  or  seven 
hundred  dollars  a  barrel  for  flour.  It  would  seem  to  be  more 
just  and  appropriate  to  estimate  the  supplies  impressed  at  their 
value  in  coin,  to  give  the  obligation  of  the  government  for  the 
payment  of  the  price  in  coin,  with  reasonable  interest,  or,  at 
the  option  of  the  creditor,  to  return  in  kind  the  wheat  and 
corn  impressed,  with  a  reasonable  interest,  also  payable  in 
kind;  and  to  make  the  obligations  thus  issued  receivable  for 
all  payments  "due  in  coin  to  the  government.  Whatever  be  the 
value  attached  by  Congress  to  these  suggestions,  it  is  hoped 
that  there  will  be  no  hesitation  in  so  changing  the  law  as  to 
render  it  possible  to  supply  the  army  in  case  of  necessity  by 
the  impressment  of  provisions  for  that  purpose. 

"The  measure  adopted  to  raise  revenue,  though  liberal  in 
its  provisions,  being  clearly  inadequate  to  meet  the  arrears  of 
debt  and  current  expenditures,  some  degree  of  embarrassment 
in  the  management  of  the  finances  must  continue  to  be  felt. 
It  is  to  be  regretted,  I  think,  that  the  recommendation  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury  of  a  tax  on  agricultural  income 
equal  to  the  augmented  tax  on  other  incomes,  payable  in  trea- 
sury notes,  was  rejected  by  Congress.  This  tax  would  have 
contributed  materially  to  facilitate  the  purchase  of  provisions 
and  diminish  the  necessity  that  is  now  felt  for  a  supply  of 
coin. 

"The  measures  passed  by  Congress  during  the  session  for 
recruiting  the  army  and  supplying  the  additional  force  needed 
for  the  public  defense  have  been,  in  my  judgment,  insufficient, 
and  I  am  impelled  by  a  profound  conviction  of  duty,  and  stim- 
ulated by  a  sense  of  the  perils  which  surround  our  country,  to 
urge  upon  you  additional  legislation  upon  this  subject. 

"  The  bill  for  employing  negroes  for  soldiers  hasnot  yet  reach- 
ed me,  though  the  printed  journals  of  your  proceedings  inform 


S82  THE  DAVIS  MEMOMIAL  VOLUME. 

me  of  its  passage.  Much  benefit  is  anticipated  from  this  meas- 
ure, though  far  less  than  would  have  resulted  from  its  adoption 
at  an  earlier  date,  so  as  to  afford  time  for  their  organization 
and  instruction  during  the  winter  months. 

"The  bill  for  diminishing  the  number  of  exempts  has  just 
been  made  the  subject  of  a  special  message,  and  its  provisions 
are  such  as  would  add  no  strength  to  the  army.  The  recom- 
mendation to  abolish  all  class  exemptions  has  not  met  your 
favor,  although  still  deemed  by  me  a  valuable  and  important 
measure;  and  the  number  of  men  exempted  by  a  new  clause 
in  the  act  thus  passed  is  believed  to  be  quite  equal  to  that  of 
those  whose  exemption  is  revoked.  A  law  of  a  few  lines  repeal- 
ing all  class  exemptions  would  nob  only  strengthen  the  forces 
in  the  field,  but  be  still  more  beneficial  by  abating  the  natural 
discontent  and  jealousy  created  in  the  army  by  the  existence  of 
classes  privileged  by  law  to  remain  in  places  of  safety  while 
their  fellow-citizens  are  exposed  in  the  trenches  and  the  field. 

"The  measure  most  needed,  however,  at  the  present  time,  for 
affording  an  effective  increase  to  our  military  strength,  is  a 
general  militia  law,  such  as  the  constitution  authorizes  Con- 
gress to  pass,  by  granting  to  it  power  'to  provide  for  organiz- 
ing, arming,  and  disciplining  the  militia,  and  for  governing 
such  part  of  them  as  may  be  employed  in  the  service  of  the 
Confederate  States,'  and  the  further  power  'to  provide  for  call- 
ing forth  the  militia  to  execute  the  laws  of  the  Confederate 
States,  suppress  insurrections,  and  repel  invasions.'  The  ne- 
cessity for  the  exercise  of  this  power  can  never  exist  if  not  in 
the  circumstances  that  now  surround  us.  The  security  of  the 
States  against  any  encroachment  by  the  Confederate  govern- 
ment is  amply  provided  for  b}''  the  constitution,  by  'reserving 
to  the  States,  respectively,  the  appointment  of  the  officers,  and 
the  authority  of  training  the  militia  according  to  the  discipline 
prescribed  by  Congress.' 

"A  law  is  needed  to  prescribe  not  oniy  how,andof  whatper- 
sons,  the  militia  are  to  be  organized,  but  to  provide  the  mode 
of  calling  them  out.  If  instances  be  required  to  show  the 
necessity  of  such  general  law,  it  is  sufficient  to  mention  that,  in 
one  case,  I  have  been  informed  by  the  governor  of  a  State  that 
the  law  does  not  permit  him  to  call  the  militia  from  one  county 
for  service  in  another ;  so  that  a  single  brigade  of  the  enemy 
could  traverse  the  State,  and  devastate  each  county  in    turn, 


CLOSE  OP  THE  WAR.  383 

■without  any  power  on  the  part  of  the  Executive  to  use  the  mi- 
litia for  effective  defence;  while  in  another  State  the  Executive 
refused  to  allow  the  militia  *  to  be  emplo3'ed  in  the  service  of 
the  Confederate  States/  in  the  absence  of  a  law  for  that  purpose. 

"I  have  heretofore,  in  a  confidential  message  to  the  two 
houses,  stated  the  facts  which  induced  me  to  consider  it  neces- 
sary that  the  privilege  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  should  be 
suspended.  The  conviction  of  the  necessity  of  this  measure 
has  become  deeper  as  the  events  of  the  struggle  have  been 
developed.  Congress  has  not  concurred  with  me  in  opinion. 
It  is  my  duty  to  say  that  the  time  has  arrived  when  the  suspen- 
sion of  the  writ  is  not  simply  advisable  and  expedient,  but  almost 
indispensable  to  the  successful  conduct  of  the  war.  On  Con- 
gress must  rest  the  responsibility  of  declining  to  exercise  a 
power  conferred  by  the  constitution  as  a  means  of  public  safety, 
to  be  used  in  periods  of  national  peril  resulting  from  foreign 
invasion.  If  our  present  circumstances  are  not  such  as  were 
contemplated  when  this  power  was  conferred,  I  confess  myself 
at  a  loss  to  imagine  any  contingency  in  which  this  clause  of 
the  constitution  will  not  remain  a  dead  letter. 

"With  the  prompt  adoption  of  the  measures  above  recom- 
mended, and  the  united  and  hearty  cooperation  of  Congress 
and  the  people  in  the  execution  of  the  laws  and  defense  of  the 
country,  we  may  enter  upon  the  present  campaign  with  cheer- 
ful confidence  in  the  result.  And  who  can  doubt  the  con- 
tinued existence  of  that  spirit  and  fortitude  in  the  people,  and 
of  that  constancy  under  reverses  which  alone  are  needed  to 
render  our  triumph  secure?  What  other  resource  remains 
available  but  the  undying,  unconquerable  resolve  to  be  free? 
It  has  become  certain,  beyond  all  doubt  or  question,  that  we 
must  continue  this  struggle  to  a  successful  issue  or  must  make 
abject  and  unconditional  submission  to  such  terms  as  it  shall 
please  the  conqueror  to  impose  on  us  after  our  surrender.  If 
a  possible  doubt  could  exist  after  the  conference  between  our 
commissioners  and  Mr.  Lincoln,  as  recently  reported  to  you,  it 
would  be  dispelled  by  a  recent  occurrence,  of  which  it  is  proper 
you  should  be  informed. 

"  Congress  will  remember  that  in  the  conference  above  referred 
to  our  commissioners  W'ere  informed  that  the  government  of  the 
United  States  would  not  enter  into  any  agreement  or  treat}'  what- 
ever with  the  Confederate  States  nor  with  any  single  State,  and 


384  TUS  DA  Vis  MEMOBIAL  VOL  VMK 

that  the  only  possible  mode  of  obtaining  peace  was  by  laying 
down  our  arms,  disbanding  our  forces,  and  yielding  uncondi- 
tional obedience  to  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  including  those 
passed  for  the  confiscation  of  our  property  and  the  constitu- 
tional amendment  for  the  abolition  of  slavery.  It  will  further 
be  remembered  that  Mr.  Lincoln  declared  that  the  only  terms 
on  which  hostilities  could  cease  were  those  stated  in  his  mes- 
sage of  December  last,  in  which  we  were  informed  that  in  the 
event  of  our  penitent  submission  he  would  temper  justice  with 
mercy,  and  that  the  question  whether  we  would  be  governed 
as  dependent  territories  or  permitted  to  have  a  representa- 
tion in  their  Congress  was  one  on  which  he  could  promise 
nothing,  but  which  would  be  decided  by  their  Congress  after 
our  submission  had  been  accepted. 

*'Ithas  not,  however,  been  hitherto  stated  to  you  that  in  the 
course  of  the  conference  at  Fortress  Monroe  a  suggestion  was 
made  by  one  of  our  commissioners  that  the  objections  enter- 
tained by  Mr.  Lincoln  to  treating  with  the  government  of  the 
Confederacy,  or  with  any  separate  State^  might  be  avoided  by 
substituting  for  the  usual  mode  of  negotiating  through  com- 
missioners, or  other  diplomatic  agents,  the  method  sometimes 
employed  of  a  military  convention,  to  be  entered  into  by  the 
commanding  generals  of  the  armies  of  the  two  belligerents. 
This,  he  admitted,  was  a  power  possessed  by  him,  though  it 
was  not  thought  commensurate  with  all  the  questions  involved. 
As  he  did  not  accept  the  suggestion  when  made,  he  was  after- 
wards requested  to  reconsider  his  conclusion  upon  the  subject 
of  a  suspension  of  hostilities,  which  he  agreed  to  do,  but  said 
that  he  had  maturely  considered  of  the  plan  and  had  deter- 
mined that  it  could  not  be  done. 

*'  Subsequently,  however,  an  interview  with  General  Long- 
street  was  asked  for  by  General  Ord,  commanding  the  enemy's 
Army  of  the  James,  during  which  General  Longstreet  was 
informed  by  him  that  there  was  a  possibility  of  arriving  at  a 
satisfactory  adjustment  of  the  present  unhappy  difficulties  by 
means  of  a  military  convention,  and  that  if  General  Lee  desired 
an  interview  on  the  subject,  it  would  not  be  declined,  provided 
General  Lee  had  authority  to  act.  This  communication  was 
supposed  to  be  the  consequence  of  the  suggestion  referred  to, 
and  General  Lee,  according  to  instructions,  wrote  to  General 
Grant,  on  the  2d  of  this  month,  proposing  to  meet  him  for 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR.  885 

conference  on  the  subject,  and  stating  that  he  was  vested  with 
the  requisite  authority.  General  Grant's  reply  stated  that  he 
had  no  authority  to  accede  to  the  proposed  conference ;  that 
his  powers  extended  only  to  making  a  convention  on  subjects 
purely  of  a  military  character,  and  that  General  Ord  could 
•only  have  meant  that  an  interview  would  not  be  refused  on 
any  subject  on  which  he  (General  Grant)  had  the  right  to  act. 

"  It  thus  appears  that  neither  with  the  Confederate  author- 
ities, nor  the  authorities  of  any  State,  nor  through  the  com- 
manding generals,  will  the  government  of  the  United  States 
treat  or  make  any  terms  or  agreement  whatever  for  the  cesso- 
tion  of  hostilities.  There  remains  then  for  us  no  choice  but 
to  continue  this  contest  to  a  final  issue ;  for  the  people  of  the 
Confederacy  can  be  but  little  known  to  him  who  supposes  it 
possible  they  would  ever  consent  to  purchase,  at  the  cost  of 
degradation  and  slavery,  permission  to  live  in  a  country  gar- 
risoned by  their  own  negroes  and  governed  by  officers  sent  by 
the  conqueror  to  rule  over  them. 

"Having  thus  fully  placed  before  you  the  information  requi- 
site to  enable  you  to  judge  of  the  state  of  the  country,  the 
dangers  to  which  we  are  exposed,  and  the  measures  of  legisla- 
tion needed  for  averting  them,  it  remains  for  me  but  to  invoke' 
your  attention  to  the  consideration  of  those  means  by  which, 
above  all  others,  we  may  hope  to  escape  the  calamities  that 
would  result  from  our  failure.  Prominent  above  all  others,  is 
the  necessity  for  earnest  and  cordial  cooperation  between  all 
departments  of  government,  State  and  Confederate,  and  all 
eminent  citizens  throughout  the  Confederacy.  To  you,  especi- 
ally, as  Senators  and  Representatives,  do  the  people  look  for 
encouragement  and  counsel.  To  your  action,  not  only  in  leg- 
islative halls,  but  in  your  homes,  will  their  eyes  be  turned  for 
the  example  of  what  is  befittingmen  who,  by  willing  sacrifices 
on  the  altar  of  freedom,  show  that  they  are  worthy  to  enjoy  its 
blessings.  I  feel  full  of  confidence  that  you  will  concur  with 
me  in  the  conviction  that  your  public  duties  will  not  be 
ended  when  you  shall  have  closed  the  legislative  labors 
of  the  session,  but  that  your  voice  will  be  heard  cheering  and 
encouraging  the  people  to  that  persistent  fortitude  which  they 
have  hitherto  displayed,  and  animating  them  by  the  manifes- 
tation of  that  serene  confidence  which,  in  moments  of  public 
danger,  is  the  distinctive  characteristic  of  the  patriot,  who 
25 


386  THE  DA  VIS  MEMOBIAL  VOL  UME. 

derives  courage  from  his  devotion  to  his  country's  destiny,  and 
is  thus  enabled  to  inspire  the  like  courage  in  others. 

"Tlius  united  in  a  common  and  holy  cause,  rising  above  all 
selfish  considerations,  rendering  all  our  means  and  faculties: 
tributary  to  the  country's  welfare,  let  us  bow  submissively  tO' 
the  Divine  will,  and  reverently  invoke  the  blessing  of  our. 
Heavenly  Father,  that  as  He  protected  and  guided  our  sires 
when  struggling  in  a  similar  cause,  so  He  will  enable  us  to 
guard  safely  our  altars  and  firesides,  and  maintain  inviolate 
the  political  rights  which  we  inherited. 

"Jefferson  Davis." 

"Richmond,  March  13,  1865." 

We  have  not  space  for  the  full  details,  but  we  give  the  salient 
points  in  the  "Peace  Negotiations"  of  this  period  in  the  follow- 
ing documents: 

EXTRACT  from:  A  LETTER    OF  PRESIDENT   DAVIS    TO   GOV.  VANCE, 
OF  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

"We  have  made  three  distinct  efforts  to  communicate  with 
the  authorities  at  Washington,  and  have  been  invariably  un- 
successful. Commissioners  were  sent  before  hostilities  were 
begun,  and  the  Washington  government  refused  to  receive 
them  or  hear  what  they  had  to  say.  A  second  time,  I  sent  a 
military  officer  with  a  communication  addressed  by  myself  to 
President  Lincoln.  The  letter  was  received  by  General  Scott, 
who  did  not  permit  the  officer  to  see  Mr.  Lincoln,  but  promised 
tliat  an  answer  would  be  sent.  No  answer  has  ever  been  re- 
ceived. The  third  time,  a  few  months  ago,  a  gentleman  was 
sent,  whose  position,  character,  and  reputation  were  such  as  to 
ensure  his  reception,  if  the  enemy  were  not  determined  to  re- 
ceive no  proposals  whatever  from  the  government.  Vice-Pres- 
ident Stephens  made  a  patriotic  tender  of  his  services  in  the 
hope  of  being  able  to  promote  the  cause  of  humanity,  and, 
although  little  belief  was  entertained  of  his  success,  I  cheerfully 
yielded  to  his  suggestions,  that  the  experiment  should  be  tried. 
The  enemy  refused  to  let  him  pass  through  their  lines  or  hold 
any  conference  with  them.  He  was  stopped  before  he  ever 
reached  Fortress  Monroe,  on  his  way  to  Washington. 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR.  387 

"If  we  will  break  up  our  government,  dissolve  the  Confed- 
erac}',  disband  our  armies,  emancipate  our  slaves,  take  an  oath 
of  allegiance,  binding  ourselves  to  obedience  to  him  and  (jf  dis- 
loyalty to  our  own  States,  he  proposes  to  pardon  us,  and  not  to 
plunder  us  of  any  thing  more  tlian  the  property  already  stolen 
from  us,  and  such  slaves  as  still  remain.  In  order  to  render 
his  proposals  so  insulting  as  to  secure  their  rejection,  ho  joins 
to  them  a  promise  to  support  with  his  army  one-tenth  of  the 
people  of  any  State  who  will  attempt  to  set  up  a  government 
over  the  other  nine-tenths,  thus  seeking  to  sow  discord  and 
suspicion  among  the  people  of  the  several  States,  and  to  excite 
them  to  civil  war  in  furtherance  of  his  ends.  I  know  well  it 
would  be  impossible  to  get  your  people,  if  they  possessed  full 
knowledge  of  these  facts,  to  consent  that  proi)Osals  should  now 
be  made  by  us  to  those  who  control  the  government  at  Wash- 
ington. Your  own  well-known  devotion  to  the  great  cause  of 
liberty  ariii  independence,  to  which  we  have  all  committed 
whatever  we  have  of  earthly  possessions,  would  induce  you  to 
take  the  lead  in  repelling  the  bare  thought  of  abject  submis- 
sion to  the  enemy.     Yet  peace  on  other  terms  is  now  impossible." 

The  famous  "Hampton  Hoads  Conference"  was  hold  as  the 
result  of  a  visit  of  Hon.  Francis  P.  Blair  to  Richmond,  agd  its 
failure  was  thus  made  known  by  President  Davis  : 

MESSAGE   CONCERNING  THE  PEACE  COXFERENCE. 

"  To  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  oj  the  Confederate 

States  of  America  : 

"Having  recently  received  a  written  notification,  which  sat 
isfied  me  that  the  President  of  the  United  States  was  disposed 
to  confer,  informally,  with  unofficial  agents  that  might  be 
sent  by  me,  with  a  view  to  the  restoration  of  peace,  I  requested 
Hon.  Alexander  H.  Stephens,  Hon.  R.  M.  T.  Hunter,  and  Hon. 
John  A.  Campbell,  to  proceed  through  our  lines,  to  hold  a 
conference  with  Mr.  Lincoln,  or  such  persons  as  he  might 
depute  to  represent  him. 

"I  herewith  submit,  for  the  information  of  Congress,  the  re- 
port of  the  eminent  citizens  above  named,  showing  that  the 
enemy  refuse  to  enter  into  negotiations  with  the  Confederate 


388  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

States,  or  any  one  of  them  separately,  or  to  give  our  people 
any  other  terms  or  guarantees  than  those  vvhich  a  conqueror 
may  grant,  or  permit  us  to  have  peace  on  any  other  basis  than 
our  unconditional  submission  to  their  rule,  coupled  with  the 
acceptance  of  their  recent  legislation,  including  en  amendment 
to  the  constitution  for  the  emancipation  of  the  negro  slaves, 
and  with  the  right,  on  the  part  of  the  Federal  Congress,  to 
legislate  on  the  subject  of  the  relations  between  the  white  and 
black  population  of  each  State. 

"Such  is,  as  I  understand,  the  effect  of  the  amendment  to 
the  constitution,  which  has  been  adopted  by  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States.  Jefferson  Davis." 

''Executive  Office,  Feb.  5,  1865." 

"Richmond,  Ya.,  February  5,  1865. 
"  7o  the  President  of  the  Confederate  States : 

"Sir, — Under  your  letter  of  appointment  of  the  28th  ultimo 
we  proceeded  to  seek  an  informal  conference  with  Abraham 
Lincoln,  President  of  the  United  States,  upon  the  subject  men- 
tioned in  your  letter. 

"The  conference  was  granted,  and  took  place  on  the  Sd 
instant,  on  board  a  steamer  anchored  in  Hampton  Roads, 
whefe  we  met  President  Lincoln  and  Hon.  Mr.  Seward,  Secre- 
tary of  State  of  the  United  States.  It  continued  for  several 
hours,  and  was  both  full  and  explicit. 

"  AVe  learned  from  them  that  the  message  of  President  Lin- 
coln to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  in  December  last, 
explains  clearly  and  distinctly,  his  sentiments  as  to  terms, 
conditions,  and  method  of  proceeding  by  which  peace  can  be 
secured  to  the  people,  and  we  were  not  informed  that  they 
would  be  modified  or  altered  to  obtain  that  end.  AVe  under- 
stood from  him  that  no  terms  or  proposals  of  any  treaty  or 
agreement  looking  to  an  ultimate  settlement  would  be  enter- 
tained or  made  by  him  with  the  authorities  of  the  Confederate 
States,  because  that  would  be  a  recognition  of  their  existence 
as  a  separate  power,  which,  under  no  circumstances,  would  be 
done;  and,  for  like  reasons,  that  no  such  terms  would  be 
entertained  by  him  from  States  separately ;  that  no  extended 
truce  or  armistice,  as  at  present  advised,  would  be  granted  or 
allowed  without  satisfactory  assurance,  in  advance,  of  com- 
plete restoration  of  the  authority  of  the  constitution  and  laws  of 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR.  S69 

the  United  States  over  all  places  within  the  States  of  the  Con- 
federacy;  that  whatever  consequences  may  follow  from  tlie  re- 
establishment  of  that  authority  must  be  accepted,  but  the  indi- 
viduals subject  to  pains  and  penalties,  under  the  laws  of  the 
United  States,  might  rely  upon  a  very  liberal  use  of  the  power 
confided  to  him  to  remit  those  pains  and  penalties  if  peace  be 
restored. 

"  During  the  conference  the  proposed  amendments  to  the 
constitution  of  the  United  States,  adopted  by  Congress  on  the 
31st  ultimo,  were  brought  to  our  notice.  These  amendments 
provide  that  neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude,  except 
for  crime,  should  exist  within  the  United  States  or  any  place 
within  their  jurisdiction,  and  that  Congress  should  have  the 
power  to  enforce  this  amendment  by  appropriate  legislation. 

"Of  all  the  correspondence  that  preceded  the  conference 
herein^  mentioned,  and  leading  to  the  same,  you  have  hereto- 
fore been  informed. 

"Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servants, 

"Alex.  H.  Stephens, 
"K  M.  T.  Hunter,' 
"J.  A.  Campbell. 

There  can  be  no  sort  of  doubt  that  the  Federal  government 
offered  at  this  time  only  "unconditional  surrender" — that 
neither  the  army  nor  the  people  were  prepared  for  this — and 
that  Mr.  Davis  was  right  in  refusing  to  accept  the  hard  con- 
ditions. 

But  at  last  the  end  came,  and  while  Mr.  Davis  was  occupy- 
ing his  pew  in  St.  Paul's  churcli,  on  Sunday  morning,  April 
2d,  1865,  there  was  handed  him  a  telegram  from  General  Lee 
announcing  the  breaking  of  his  lines  at  Petersburg,  and  the 
necessity  of  evacuating  Richmond  and  Petersburg  that  night. 
The  sensational  stories  that  have  been  published  to  the  effect 
that  he  hastily  left  the  church,  looking  so  pale  as  to  attract 
attention — that  he  hurried  home  to  pack  his  own  personal 
effects,  and  that  he  impressed  for  his  private  use  cars  that 
were  needed  for  the  public  service — are  all  like  so  many  other 
stories  about  Mr.  Davis,  'pure  romance. 


390  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

We  give  his  own  statement,  as  published  in  his  "  Rise  and 
Fall  of  the  Confederate  Government,"  and  if  any  statement  oi 
this  stainless  gentleman  needed  corroborating,  we  could  mul- 
tiply the  recollections  of  eye-witnesses  confirming  what  he  says. 

But  we  append  the  following  account  from  him  in  the  full 
confidence  that  it  will  be  accepted  by  all  right  thinking  men  : 

"  On  Sunday,  the  2d  of  April,  while  I  was  in  St.  Paul's 
church.  General  Lee's  telegram  announcing  his  speedy  with- 
drawal from  Petersburg  and  the  consequent  necessity  for  evac- 
uating Richmond  was  handed  to  me.  I  quietly  rose  and  left 
the  church.  The  occurrence  probably  attracted  attention,  but 
the  people  of  Richmond  had  been  loo  long  beleaguered,  had 
known  me  too  often  to  receive  notice  of  threatened  attacks,  and 
the  congregation  at  St.  Paul's  vv^as  too  refined  to  make  a  scftue 
at  anticipated  danger.  For  all  these  reasons  the  reader  will  be 
prepared  for  the  announcement  that  the  sensational  stories 
wliich  have  been  published  about  the  agitation  caused  by  my 
leaving  the  church  during  service  were  the  creations  of  fertile 
imaginations.  I  went  to  my  office  and  assembled  the  heads  of 
departments  and  bureaus,  as  far  as  they  could  be  found  on  a 
day  when  all  the  offices  were  closed,  and  gave  the  needful 
instructions  for  our  removal  that  night,  simultaneously  with 
General  Lee's  withdrawal  from  Petersburg.  The  event  was 
not  unforeseen  and  some  j)reparation  had  been  made  for  it, 
though,  as  it  came  sooner  than  was  expected,  there  was  yet 
much  to  be  done.  My  own  papers  were  disposed  as  usual  for 
convenient  reference  in  the  transaction  of  current  affairs,  and 
as  soon  as  the  principal  officers  had  left  me  the  executive 
papers  were  arranged  for  removal.  This  occupied  myself  and 
staff  until  late  in  the  afternoon.  By  this  time  the  report  that 
Richmond  was  to  be  evacuated  had  spread  through  the  town, 
and  many  wdio  saw  me  walking  toward  my  residence  left  their 
houses  to  inquire  whether  the  report  was  true.  Upon  my 
admission  of  the  painful  fact,  qualified,  however,  by  the  ex- 
pression of  my  hope  that  we  would  under  better  auspices 
again  return,  the  ladies  especially,  with  generous  s^mipathy 
and  patriotic  impulse,  responded  :  *If  the  success  of  the  cause 
requires  you  to  give  up  Richmond,  we  are  couteat.' 


ft. '-' 

r"    rn 


■5  3 


:2. 


392  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  U3IE, 

"The  affection  and  confidence  of  this  noble  people  in  the 
hour  of  disaster  were  more  distressing  to  me  than  complaint 
and  unjust  censure  would  have  been. 

''In  view  of  the  diminishing  resources  of  the  country  on 
which  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  relied  for  supplies,  I  had 
urged  the  policy  of  sending  families  as  far  as  practicable  to  the 
south  and  west,  and  had  set  the  example  by  requiring  my 
own  to  go.  If  it  was  practicable  and  desirable  to  hold  the 
south  side  of  the  James,  then,  even  for  merely  material  consider- 
ations, it  was  important  to  hold  Richmond,  and  this  could  best 
have  been  done  if  there  had  been  none  there  save  those  who 
could  aid  in  its  defense.  If  it  was  not  practicable  and  desira- 
ble to  hold  the  south  side  of  the  James,  then  Richmond  would 
be  isolated,  and  if  it  could  have  been  defended,  its  depots,  foun- 
dries, workshops,  and  mills  could  have  contributed  nothing  to 
the  armies  outside,  and  its  possession  would  no  longer  have 
been  to  us  of  military  importance.  Ours  being  a  struggle  for 
existence,  the  indulgence  of  sentiment  would  have  been  mis- 
placed. 

"Being  alone  in  Richmond  the  few  arrangements  needful  for 
my  personal  wants  were  soon  made  after  reaching  home.  Then, 
leaving  all  else  in  care  of  the  housekeeper,  I  waited  until  noti- 
fied of  the  time  when  the  train  would  depart;  then,  going  to 
the  station,  started  for  Danville,  whither  I  supposed  General 
Lee  would  proceed  with  his  army." 

Equally  false  is  the  charge  that  Mr.  Davis  had  ordered  to 
Richmond  a  train  loaded  with  provisions  intended  to  be  left 
for  General  Lee's  army  at  Amelia  Courthouse.  General  I.  M.  St. 
John,  the  able  and  accomplished  commissary-general  at  the 
time,  has  proven  beyond  peradventure,  in  a  paper  published  in 
Southern  Historical  Society  Papers,  that  his  department  received 
no  request  for  rations  to  be  sent  to  Amelia  Courthouse,  and 
that  if  such  a  request  had  come  from  General  Lee  it  could 
have  been  very  easily  done,  and  the  rations  would  have  been 
put  there. 

And  yet  it  is  true  that  General  Lee  did  direct  rations  to  be 
accumulated  at  Amelia  Courthouse — that  he  was  very  much 
disappointed  in  not  finding  them  there — and  that  the  delay  in 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR.  393 

the  vain  effort  to  collect  rations  from  the  surrounding  country 
enabled  Grano  to  reach  Burkeville  in  time  to  cut  Lee  off  from 
his  contemplated  move  on  Danville. 

Who  was  responsible  for  this  failure  will  probably  never  be 
known,  at  least  with  sufficient  accuracy  to  publish  it;  but  it  is 
certain  that  neither  Mr.  Davis  nor  General  St.  John  were 
blameworthy. 

Mr.  Davis  went  straight  to  Danville  where  he  established  his 
headquarters,  and  from  which  he  issued  his  famous  proclama- 
tion which,  (while  it  is  easy  to  ridicule  it  now,  and  of  which  he 
himself  said  in  his  book,  "  viewed  by  the  light  of  subsequent 
events,  it  may  fairly  |be  said  it  was  over-sanguine,")  so  shows 
the  spirit^of  the  man  that  we  give  it  in  full  as  follows: 

"Danville,  Va.,  April  5,  1865. 

"The  General-in-Chief  found  it  necessary  to  make  Such 
movements  of  his  troops  as  to  uncover  the  capital.  It  would 
be  unwise  to  conceal  the  moral  and  material  injury  to  our  cause 
resulting  from  the  occupation  of  our  capital  by  the  enemy.  It 
is  equally  unwise  and  unworthy  of  us  to  allow  our  own  ener- 
gies to  falter,  and  our  efforts  to  become  relaxed  under  reverses, 
however  calamitous  they  may  be.  For  many  months  the 
largest  and  finest  army  of  the  Confederacy,  under  a  leader  whose 
presence  inspires  equal  confidence  in  the  troops  and  the  people, 
has  been  greatly  trammeled  by  the  necessity  of  keeping  constant 
watch  over  the  approaches  to  the  capital,  and  has  thus  been 
forced  to  forego  more  than  one  opportunity  for  promising  en- 
terprise. It  is  for  us,  my  countrymen,  to  show  by  our  bearing 
under  reverses,  how  wretched  has  been  the  self-deception  of 
those  who  have  believed  us  less  able  to  endure  misfortune  with 
fortitude  than  to  encounter  danger  with  courage. 

"We  have  now  entered  upon  a  new  phase  of  the  struggle. 
Relieved  from  the  necessity  of  guarding  particular  points,  our 
army  will  be  free  to  move  from  point  to  point,  to  strike  the 
enemy  in  detail  far  from  his  base.  Let  us  but  will  it,  and  we 
are  free. 

"Animated  by  that  confidence  in  your  spirit  and  fortitude 
which  never  yet  failed  me,  I  announce  to  you,  fellow-country- 


394  TITE  DAVIS  MEMOKIAL  VOLVME. 

men,  that  it  is  my  purpose  to  maintain  your  cause  with  my 
whole  heart  and  soul;  that  I  will  never  consent  to  abandon  to 
the  enemy  one  foot  of  the  soil  of  any  of  the  States  of  the  Con- 
federacy; that  Virginia — noble  State — whose  ancient  renown 
has  been  eclipsed  by  her  still  more  glorious  recent  history; 
whose  bosom  has  been  bared  to  receive  the  main  shock  of  this 
war;  whose  sons  and  daughters  have  exhibited  heroism  so  sub- 
lime as  to  render  her  illustrious  in  all  time.tocome — that  A^ir- 
ginia,  with  the  help  of  the  people,  and  by  the  blessing  of  Prov- 
idence, shall  be  held  and  defended,  and  no  peace  ever  be  made 
with  the  infamous  invaders  other  territory. 

"If,  by  the  stress  of  numbers,  we  should  be  compelled  to  a 
temporary  withdrawal  from  her  limits,  or  those  of  any  other 
border  State,  we  Avill  return  until  the  baffled  and  exhausted 
enemy  shall  abandon  in  despair  his  endless  and  impossible 
task  of  making  slaves  of  a  people  resolved  to  be  free. 

"Let  us,  then,  not  despond,  my  countrymen,  but,  relying  on 
God,  meet  the  foe  with  fresh  defiance,  and  with  unconquered 
and  unconquerable  hearts. 

"Jefferson  Davis." 

The  first  news  of  General  Lee's  surrender  reached  Mr. 
Davis  through  Lieutenant  John  S.  Wise  (son  of  General  Henry 
A.  Wise),  then  a  mere  youth,  who,  when  he  became  satisfied 
that  the  surrender  would  occur,  rode  through  the  enemy's 
lines,  went  to  Danville,  and  informed  the  President  of  it. 

This  was,  of  course,  a  great  disappointment  and  grief  to 
him,  but  he  bore  himself  grandly,  and  still  hoped  that  with 
Johnston's  army  he  could  strike  an  effectual  blow  for  freedom. 

A  correspondent  of  the  Hichmond  Dispatch  gives  the  follow- 
ing incident  of  Mr.  Davis's  leaving  Danville : 

"Danville,  A^a.,  December  11,  1889. 

"  The  occasion  of  Mr.  Davis's  funeral  recalls  most  vividly  to 
the  old  residents  of  Danville  the  sad  and  exciting  times  when 
the  President  of  the  Confederacy  and  his  cabinet  spent  a  few 
days  in  Danville,  the  last  capital  of  the  Confederate  govern- 
ment. 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAB.  395 

"Mr.  Davis  and  his  cabinet  came  to  Danville  early  in  April, 
18G5,  and  made  their  headquarters  at  the  residence  of  Major 
W.  T.  Suthcrlin.  There  they  remained  for  three  days,  and 
the  last  proclamation  of  Mr.  Davis  was  written  on  a  table 
which  still  stands  in  the  hall  of  Major  Sutherlin's  house  and 
is,  of  course,  the  most  highly  honored  piece  of  furniture  in 
the  house. 

"I  had  a  chat  last  night  with  Mrs.  Sutherlin  concerning  the 
stay  of  INIr,  Davis  in  her  house,  and  every  little  incident  is  still 
fresh  in  her  memory.     Said  she: 

'"When  Mr.  Davis  had  been  at  our  house  for  three  days  he 
said  that  he  could  not  impose  on  our  hospitality  longer,  and 
made  arrangements  to  establish  his  headquarters  at  the  old 
Benedict  house,  on  Wilson  street.  I  told  him  that  he  might 
take  his  cabinet  to  any  place  he  pleased,  but  as  for  himself  he 
must  be  our  guest  so  long  as  he  remained  in  the  city,  and  he 
yielded  to  the  request,  lie  remained  here  five  days  after  that 
time,  and  was,  of  course,  in  a  most  anxious  frame  of  mind,  but 
was  always  pleasant  and  agreeable.  One  morning  he  and  Mr. 
Sutherlin  went  down  town  and  soon  returned  in  an  excited 
manner,  and  I  knew  something  had  happened.  I  met  them 
at  the  door,  and  Mr.  Davis  told  me  almost  in  a  whisper  that 
Lee  had  surrendered  and  that  he  must  leave  town  as  soon  as 
possible. 

"'Making  a  few  hurried  arrangements,  he  offered  his  hand 
tome  to  say  good-b}^  and  I  asked  him  the  question:  /Mr. 
Davis,  have  3'oa  any  funds  other  than  Confederate  money?' 
and  he  replied  in  the  negative.  'Then,'  said  I,  offering  him  a 
bag  of  gold  containing  a  thousand  dollars,  'take  this  from 
me.'  I  offered  the  money  without  having  consulted  Mr.  Suth- 
erlin, but  knew  it  would  be  all  right  with  him. 

'"Mr.  Davis  took  my  hand  and  the  tears  streamed  down  his 
face.  'No,'  said  he,  'I  cannot  take  your  money.  You  and 
your  husband  are  young  and  will  need  your  money,  while  I 
am  an  old  man,  and,'  adding  after  a  pause,  'I  don't  reckon  I 
shall  need  anything  very  long.' 

'"He  then  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  took  out  a  little 
gold  pencil  wd.ich  he  asked  me  to  keep  for  his  sake,  and  I  have 
the  little  memento  now.'  She  then  sliowed  the  little  mft  to 
myself  and  others  in  the  room  and  said  she  had  never  used  it, 
but  had  always  preserved  it  as  a  sacred  gift. 


396  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

"'When  Mr.  Davis  had  said  good-by,'  continued  Mrs. 
Sutherlin,  '  he  hurried  to  the  train  and  left  town  as  soon  as 
possible.' 

"'Did  Mr.  Davis  think  the  war  was  then  ended?'  I  asked. 

"'Not  at  all/  she  replied.  'One  day  at  the  table  I  said  to 
him:  'Mr.  Davis,  would  Lee's  surrender  end  the  war?'  and  he 
replied: 

'"By  no  means.  We'll  fight  it  out  to  the  Mississippi  river.' 
And  so  said  all  his  officers.  I  told  them  they  were  simply 
whistling  to  keep  their  courage  up,  but  they  said  they  meant 
what  they  said.' " 

MEETING    OP    MR.    DAVIS    AND     HIS     CABINET    WITH    GENERALS 
JOHNSTON    AND    BEAUREGARD    AT   GREENSRORO',  N.  C. 

Secretary  S.  R.  Mallory  has  written  a  vivid  account  of  a 
meeting  of  the  cabinet  at  Greensboro',  called  to  consult  with 
Generals  Johnston  and  Beauregard  on  "the  situation."  We 
quote  as  follows: 

"  At  8  o'clock  that  evening  the  cabinet,  with  the  exception  of 
Mr.  Trenholm,  wdiose  illness  prevented  his  attendance,  joined 
the  President  at  his  room.  It  was  a  small  apartment,  some 
twelve  by  sixteen  feet,  containing  a  bed,  a  few  chairs,  and  a 
table,  with  writing  materials,  on  the  second  floor  of  the  small 
dwelling  of  Mrs.  John  Taylor  Wood ;  and  a  few  minutes  after 
eight  the  two  generals  entered. 

"  The  uniform  habit  of  President  Davis,  in  cabinet  meet- 
ings, was  to  consume  some  little  time  in  general  conversation 
before  entering  upon  the  business  of  the  occasion,  and  not  unfre- 
quently  introducing  some  anecdote  or  interesting  episode, 
generally  some  reminiscence  of  the  early  life  of  himself  or 
others  in  the  army,  the  Mexican  war,  or  his  AVashington  expe- 
riences ;  and  his  manner  of  relating  and  his  application  of 
them  were  at  all  times  very  happy  and  pleasing. 

"  Few  men  seized  more  readily  upon  the  sprightly  aspects 
of  any  transaction,  or  turned  them  to  better  account ;  and  his 
powers  of  mimicry,  whenever  he  condescended  to  exercise 
them,  were  irresistible.  Upon  this  occasion,  at  a  time  when 
the  cause  of  the  Confederacy  was  hopeless,  when  its  soldiers 
were  throwing  away  their  arms  and  flying  to  their  homes, 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR.  397 

when  its  government,  stripped  of  nearly  all  power,  could  not 
hope  to  exist  beyond  a  few  days  more,  and  when  the  enemy, 
more  powerful  and  exultant  than  ever,  was  advancing  upon 
all  sides,  true  to  his  habit,  he  introduced  several  subjects  of 
conversation,  not  connected  with  the  condition  of  the  country, 
and  discussed  them  as  if  at  some  pleasant  ordinary  meeting. 
After  a  brief  time  thus  spent,  turning  to  General  Johnston,  he 
said,  in  his  usual  quiet,  grave  way, when  entering  upon  matters 
of  business:  'I  have  requested  you  and  General  Beauregard, 
General  Johnston,  to  join  us  this  evening,  that  we  might  have 
the  benefit  of  your  views  upon  the  situation  of  tliie  country. 
Of  course,  we  all  feel  the  magnitude  of  the  moment.  Our 
late  disasters  are  terrible,  but  I  do  not  think  we  should  regard 
them  as  fatal.  I  think  we  can  whip  the  enemy  yet,  if  our 
people  will  turn  out.  We  must  look  at  matters  calmly,  how- 
ever, and  see  what  is  left  for  us  to  do.  Whatever  can  be  done 
must  be  done  at  once.  We  have  not  a  day  to  lose.'  A  pause 
ensued.  General  Johnston  not  seeming  to  deem  himself  expected 
to  speak,  when  the  President  said:  'We  should  like  to  hear 
your  views.  General  Johnston.'  Upon  this  the  General,  with- 
out preface,  or  introduction — his  words  translating  the  expres- 
sion which  his  face  had  worn  since  he  entered  the  room — said, 
in  his  terse,  concise,  demonstrative  way,  as  if  seeking  to  con- 
dense thoughts  that  were  crowding  for  utterance:  'My  views 
are,  sir,  that  our  people  are  tired  of  the  war,  feel  themselves 
whipped,  and  will  not  fight.  Our  country  is  overrun, its  military 
resources  greatly  diminished,  while  the  enemy's  military  power 
and  resources  were  never  greater,  and  may  be  increased  to  any 
desired  extent.  We  cannot  place  another  large  army  in  the 
field ;  and,  cut  off  as  we  are  from  foreign  intercourse,  I  do  not 
see  how  we  could  maintain  it  in  fighting  condition  if  we  had 
it.  My  men  are  daily  deserting  in  large  numbers,  and  are 
taking  my  artillery  teams  to  aid  their  escape  to  their  homes. 
Since  Lee's  defeat  tney  regard  the  war  at  an  end.  If  I  march 
out  of  North  Carolina,  her  people  will  all  leave  my  ranks.  It 
will  be  the  same  as  I  proceed  south  through  South  Carolina 
and  Georgia,  and  I  shall  ex})ect  to  retain  no  man  beyond  the 
by-road  or  cow-path  that  leads  to  his  house.  My  small  force 
is  melting  away  like  snow  before  the  sun,  and  I  am  hopeless 
of  recruiting  it.  AVe  may,  perhaps,  obtain  terms  which  we 
ought  to  accept.' 


398^  THE  DA  VIS  3fEM0EIAL  VOL  mm 

"  The  tone  and  manner,  almost  spiteful,  in  which  the  general 
jerked  out  these  brief,  decisive  sentences,  pausing  at  every  para- 
graph, left  no  doubt  as  to  his  own  convictions.  When  he 
ceased  speaking,  whatever  was  thought  of  his  statements — and 
their  importance  was  fully  understood — they  elicited  neither 
comment  nor  inquiry.  The  President,  w4io,  during  their 
delivery,  had  sat  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  a  scrap  of  paper 
which  he  was  folding  and  re-folding  abstractedly,  and  who  had 
listened  without  a  change  of  position  or  expression,  broke  the 
silence  by  saying,  in  a  low,  even  tone:  '  What  do  you  say,  Gen- 
eral Beauregard?' 

'"I  concur  in  all  General  Johnston  has  said,'  he  replied, 

"Another  silence,  more  eloquent  of  the  full  appreciation  of 
the  condition  of  the  country  than  words  could  have  been,  suc- 
ceeded, during  which  the  President's  manner  was  unchanged. 

"After  a  brief  pause  he  said,  without  a  variation  of  tone  or 
expression,  and  without  raising  his  e}'es  from  the  slip  of  paper 
between  his  fingers:  'Well,  General  Johnston,  what  do  you  pro- 
pose? You  speak  of  obtaining  terms.  You  know,  of  course, 
that  the  enemy  refuses  to  treat  with  us.  How  do  you  propose 
to  obtain  terms?' 

"  '  I  think  the  opposing  generals  in  the  field  may  arrange 
them.' 

"  'Do  you  think  Sherman  will  treat  with  you?' 

" '  I  have  no  reason  to  think  otherwise.-  Such  a  course  would 
be  in  accordance  with  military  usage,  and  legitimate.' 

"'We  can  easily  try  it,  sir.  If  w^e  can  accomplish  any  good 
for  the  country.  Heaven  knows  I  am  not  particular  as  to  forms. 
How  will  you  reach  Sherman?' 

"  'I  would  address  him  a  brief  note,  proposing  an  interview 
to  arrange  terms  of  surrender  and  peace,  embracing,  of  course, 
a  cessation  of  hostilities  during  the  negotiations.' 

"'Well,  sir,  you  can  adopt  this  course,  though  I  confess  I  am 
not  sanguine  as  to  ultimate  results.' 

"The  member  of  the  cabinet  before  referred  to  as  convers- 
ing with  General  Johnston,and  wlio  was  anxious  that  his  views 
should  be  promptly  carried  out,  immediately  seated  himself  at 
the  writing-table,  and,  taking  up  a  pen,  offered  to  act  as  the 
general's  amanuensis.  At  the  request  of  the  latter,  however, 
the  President  dictated  the  letter  to  General  Sherman,  which 
was  written  at  once  upon  a  half  sheet  of  letter  folded  as   note 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR.  S99 

jpaper,  and  signed  by  General  Johnston,  who  took  it,  and  said 
he  would  send  it  to  General  Slierman  early  in  the  morning, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  conference  broke  up.  This  note, 
which  was  a  brief  proposition  for  a  suspension  of  hostilities, 
and  a  conference  with  a  view  to  agreeing  upon  terms  of  peace, 
has  been  published  with  other  letters  which  passed  between  the 
two  generals. 

"On  or  about  the  16th  of  April,  the  President,  his  staff,  and 
cabinet  left  Greensboro'  to  proceed  still  furthv:;r  south,  with 
plans  unformed,  clinging  to  the  hope  that  Johnston  and  Sher- 
man would  secure  peace  and  the  quiet  of  the  country,  but  still 
all  doubtful  of  the  result,  and  still  more  doubtful  as  to  conse- 
quences of  failure." 

After -th^^  agreement  between  Johnston  and  Sherman  had 
been  disapproved  at  Washington,  and  Johnston  was  negotiating 
for  the  surrender  of  his  own  army,  there  was  nothing  left  Presi- 
dent Davis  but  to  continue  his  retreat  in  order  to  fulfill  his,  pur- 
pose of  reaching  General  Taylor,  crossing  the  Mississippi,  and 
continuing  the  fight  in  the  Trans-Mississippi  department. 

AT   WASHINGTON,   GA. 

The  following  was  written  as  a  private  letter  not  intended 
for  publication,  but  it  brings  out  so  beautifully  several  charac- 
teristics of  Mr.  Davis  that  my  accomplished  friend,  Rev.  Dr^ 
H.  A.  Tupper,  must  excuse  me  for  giving  it  in  full : 

"Richmond,  Virginia,  December  25,  1889. 
"iifiv.  /.  Wm.  Jones,  D.  /).,  Atlanta,  Ga.: 

"  Dear  Doctor — I  am  glad  that  you  propose  to  publish  a 
memorial  volume  of  the  late  Jeff'erson  Davis.  It  seems  to  be 
demanded  by  the  expression  of  mournful  feeling  which  has 
pervaded  the  entire  South,  the  like  of  which  has  never  appeared 
in  my  day  and  generation.  Great  men  have  fallen  in  the 
country  and  great  funeral  pageants  have  been  witnessed,  but 
I  remember  no  parallel  to  such  a  sight  of  weeping  eyes  and 
saddened  countenances  among  a  whole  people. 

"There  was  a  feature  of  Mr.  Davis's  character  which  comes 
to  my  recollection  on  seeing  in  our  Richmond  Dispatch  an  allu- 


400  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

sion  to  the  revival  of  the  story  that  Mr.  Davis  was  captured  in  a 
woman's  dress.  I  refer  to  his  imperturbable,  calm  courage.  You 
are  aware  of  the  fact  that  my  house  in  Washington,  Ga.,  was 
selected  as  the  place  for  the  reception  of  Mr.  Davis  and  his  party 
after  the  evacuation  of  Richmond.  Mrs,  Davis,  w^th  the  chil- 
dren, was  at  the  residence  of  my  senior  deacon  (Dr.  Fielding  Fick- 
len,  the  father-in-law  of  the  late  Rev.  James  P.  Bryce,  D.  D.,  Mrs. 
Tupper's  brother).  The  day  before  Mr.  Davis  was  to  arrive  in 
Washington  Mrs.  Davis  and  the  children  were  sent  forward  in 
a  little  wagon  toward  Raytown,  Ga.  When  Mr.  Davis  was 
near  our  town  I  sent  on  horseback  one  of  Dr.  Ficklen's  sons 
to  overtake  Mrs.  Davis  and  request  her  to  stop  at  Raytown, 
where  Mr.  Davis  would  meet  her.  That  day  Mrs.  Tupper  was 
taken  seriously  ill,  and  a  daughter  was  born  into  the  family. 
Dr.  J.  J.  Robertson,  cashier  of  the  Washington  bank,  was 
requested  to  receive  the  party,  which  he  did  most  cordially. 
It  was  in  his  house  that  the  last  cabinet-meeting  of  the  Con- 
federacy was  held.  It  was  there  formally  dissolved.  The  party 
arrived  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  Federal  troops 
had  crossed  the  Savannah  river,  only  some  twenty  miles  dis- 
tant. The  citizens  were  anxious  that  Mr.  Davis  should  not 
expose  himself  unduly.  About  midnight  several  of  the  dis- 
tinguished company  departed.  Things  occurred  just  at  this 
point  which  have  not  been  written  and  never  will  be  written. 
"  But  Mr.  Davis  had  not  the  remotest  idea  of  going.  His 
conduct  was  much  the  same  as  you  might  see  in  a  gentleman 
who  decides  not  to  take  a  night  train,  preferring  a  good  night's 
sleep,  and  a  start  in  the  morning.  In  the  morning  he  was  in 
no  greater  haste  to  depart.  He  was  informed  that  Mrs.  Davis 
was  awaiting  him  at  Raytown,  but  he  must  speak  to  the  ladies 
who  had  called.  He  was  informed  that  his  horse  was  at  the 
door,  but  he  had  to  kiss  the  little  children  that  were  present. 
It  was  now  nine  o'clock,  if  I  am  not  mistaken.  I  said  to 
Judge  Garnett  Andrews,  'I  really  believe  that  Mr,  Davis 
wishes  to  be  captured.'  At  last,  accompanied  by  Colonel  John- 
ston, son  of  General  Sidney  Johnston,  he  walked  in  the  most 
leisurely  way  down  the  front  steps  of  Dr.  Robertson's  house, 
saying  something  appropriate  to  every  one  that  approached 
him,  A  Washington  (Ga.)  paper  in  an  issue  many  years  ago, 
now  before  me,  says:  To  words  of  cheer  and  consolation 
addressed  to  him  by  the  writer,  Mr,  Davis  replied:  'Though 


CLOSE  OP  THE  WAR.  401 

He  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  Him.'  Then  in  the  quietest  pos- 
sible manner  he  mounted  his  horse,  and,  Colonel  Johnston 
doing  the  same,  the  two  passed  out  of  the  town  with  the  pain- 
ful slowness  of  mourners  in  a  funeral  procession  rather  than 
in  the  movement  of  supposed  fugitives.  As  I  think  of  the 
high  bearing  and  granite  firmness  of  the  man  I  think  of  the 
words  of  Confucius:  'See  that  obelisk,  erect,  lofty,  grand!' 

"Is  that  the  man  to  be  caught,  two  days  after,  concealed  in  a 
woman's  garb?  Even  mendacity  itself  might  be  clothed  in 
a  garment  of  shame  at  the  utterance  of  slander  so  unfounded, 
so  malicious. 

"  Having  nothing  special  to  do  at  this  moment,  I  scribble 
these  lines  in  vindication  of  truth,  my  eye  having  rested  on 
the  allusion  of  the  Dispatch  to  which  I  have  referred. 

"I  am  yours,  very  truly, 

"H.  A.  TuppER." 

HIS  CAPTURE. 

There  are  few  events  which  have  been  more  misrepresented 
than  the  capture  of  Mr.  Davis,  and  it  seems  hard  to  get  North- 
ern writers  even  now  to  refrain  from  the  sensational  slanders 
which  were  manufactured  at  the  time. 

Several  of  his  captors  have  contradicted  in  emphatic  terms 
Aiese  stories. 

The  following  appeared  in  the  Portland  (Maine)  Argus: 

"I  am  no  admirer  of  Jeff.  Davis.  I  am  a  Yankee,  bom 
between  Saccarappa  and  Gorham  Corner ;  am  full  of  Yankee 
prejudices ;  but  I  think  it  wicked  to  lie  even  about  him,  or,  for 
the  matter,  about  the  devil. 

"  I  was  with  the  party  that  captured  Jefif.  Davis ;  saw  the 
whole  transaction  from  its  beginning.  I  now  say — and  I  hope 
you  will  publish  it — that  Jeff.  Davis  did  not  have  on  at  the 
time  he  was  taken  any  such  garment  as  is  worn  by  women. 
He  did  have  over  his  shoulders  a  water-proof  article  of  clothing, 
something  like  a  *  Havelock.'  It  was  not  in  the  least  con- 
cealed. He  wore  a  hat,  and  did  not  carry  a  pail  of  water  on 
his  head,  nor  carry  pail,  bucket,  or  kettle  in  any  way. 

"To  the  best  of  my  recollection  he  carried  nothing  whatever 
in  his  hands.  His  wife  did  not  tell  any  person  that  her  hus- 
26 


402  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

band  might  hurt  somebody  if  he  got  exasperated.  She  behaved 
like  a  lady  and  ho  as  a  gentleman,  though  manifestly  he  was 
chagrined  at  being  taken  into  custody.  Our  soldiers  behaved 
like  gentlemen,  as  they  were,  and  our  officers  like  honorable, 
brave  men;  and  the  foolish  stories  that  went  the  newspaper 
rounds  of  the  day,  telling  how  wolfishly  he  deported  himself, 
were  all  false.  I  know  what  I  am  writing  about.  I  saw  Jeffer- 
son Davis  many  times  while  he  was  staying  in  Portland  sev- 
eral years  ago;  and  I  think  I  was  the  first  one  who  recognized 
him  at  the  time  of  his  arrest. 

"  When  it  was  known  that  he  was  certainly  taken,  some  news- 
paper correspondent. — I  knew  his  name  at  the  time — fabricated 
the  story  about  his  disguise  in  an  old  woman's  dress.  I  heard 
the  whole  matter  talked  over  as  a  good  joke;  and  the  officers, 
who  knew  better,  never  took  the  trouble  to  deny  it.  Perhaps 
they  thought  the  Confederate  President  deserved  all  the  con- 
tempt that  could  be  put  upon  him.  I  think  so,  too;  only  I 
would  never  perpetrate  a  falsehood  that  by  any  means  would 
become  history.  And,  further,  I  would  never  slander  a  woman 
who  has  shown  so  much  devotion  as  Mrs.  Davis  has  to  her 
husband,  no  matter  how  wicked  he  is  or  may  have  been. 

"I  defy  any  person  to  find  a  single  officer  or  soldier  who 
was  present  at  the  capture  of  Jefferson  Davis  who  will  say, 
upon  honor,  that  he  was  disguised  in  woman's  clothes,  or  that 
his  wife  acted  in  any  way  unladylike  or  undignified  on  that 
occasion.  I  go  for  trying  him  for  his  crimes,  and  if  he  is 
found  guilty,  punishing  him.  But  I  would  not  lie  about  him, 
when  the  trutn  will  certainly  make  it  bad  enough. 

^^Elburnville,  Pa.  James  H.  Parker." 

Mr.  T.  H,  Peabody,  a  lawyer  of  St.  Louis,  one  of  the  captors 
of  Mr.  Davis,  in  a  speech  before  Ransom  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  deliv- 
ered a  few  days  after  ths  death  of  Mr.  Davis,  said: 

"Jefferson  Davis  was  captured  by  the  Fourth  Michigan  cav- 
alry, in  the  early  morning  of  May  10,  1865,  at  Irwinsville,  in 
southern  Georgia.  With  him  were  Mr.  Reagan,  of  Texas,  his 
postmaster-general;  Captain  Moody,  of  Mississippi,  an  old  neigh- 
bor of  the  Davis  family;  Governor  Lubbock,  of  Texas;  Colonels 
Harrison  and  Johnston  of  his  staff;  Mrs.  Davis  and  her  four 
children — Maggie, some  ten  years  old;  Jeff,  about  eight;  Willie, 
about  five,  and  a  girl  baby — a  brother  and  sister  of  Mrs.  Davis, 


^/'/.  ',    <; 


'*r''':f'f,i,mi 


^i* 


His  CAPlUKt. 


4D4  fJlE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

a  white  and  one  colored  servant  woman,  a  small  force  of  caval- 
ry, a  few  others,  and  a  small  train  of  horses,  mules,  wagons 
and  ambulances.  Among  the  horses  were  a  span  of  carriage 
horses  presented  to  Mrs.  Davis  by  the  citizens  of  Richmond 
during  the  heydey  of  the  Confederacy,  also  a  splendid  saddle- 
horse,  the  pride  of  the  ex-President  himself  On  tlie  11th  of 
May,  the  next  day  after  the  capture,  and  while  on  our  way  back 
to  Macon,  as  officer  of  the  guard  over  the  distinguished  pris- 
oner, I  rode  by  the  side  of  Mr.  Reagan,  now  senator  from  Texas. 
I  found  him  a  very  fine  gentleman.  During  that  day's 
march  a  courier  from  Macon  notified  us  in  printed  slips  of  the 
$100,000  reward  offered  for  Mr.  Davis's  capture,  which  notice 
connected  Davis  with  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln. 
When  Mr.  Reagan  read  the  notice  he  earnestly  protested  that 
Mr.  Davis  had  no  connection  whatever  with  the  sorrowful 
affair.     History  has  shown  he  had  none. 

"Besides  the  suit  of  men's  clothing  worn  by  Mr.  Davis,  he 
had  on,  when  captured,  Mrs.  Davis's  large  water-proof  cloak  or 
robe,  thrown  on  over  his  own  fine  gray  suit,  and  a  blanket 
shawl  thrown  on  over  his  head  and  shoulders.  This  shawl 
and  robe  were  finally  deposited  in  the  archives  of  the  War  De- 
partment at  Washington  by  order  of  Secretary  Stanton.  The 
story  of  the  'hoop- skirt,  sun  bonnet  and  calico  wrapper'  had 
no  real  existence,  and  was  started  in  the  fertile  brain  of  the  re- 
porters and  in  the  illustrated  papers  of  that  day." 

Major  W.T.Walthall  published  in  the  Southern  Historical  Soci- 
ety Papers  a  scathing  review  of  an  utterly  false  and  sensational 
story  by  General  Wilson  in  the  Philadelphia  Times.  We  regret 
that  our  space  does  not  allow  us  to  give  in  full  this  conclusive 
paper,  but  we  take  from  it  the  following  letters  which  settle  the 
question : 

LETTER  FROM    COLONEL  "WILLIAM  PRESTON  JOHNSTON,  LATE  AIDE 
TO  PRESIDENT  DAVIS. 

"Lexington,  Va.,  July  14th,  1877. 
"Major  W.  T.  Walthall,  Mobile,  Ala.: 

"My  Dear  Sir — Your  letter  has  just  come  to  hand,  and  I 
reply  at  once.  Wilson's  monograph  is  written  with  a  very 
strong  animus,  not  to  say  virus.     It  is  in  no  sense  historicaL 


406  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

errors.  On  the  nigbt  of  the  9th  I  was  very  much  worn  out 
with  travel  and  watching,  and  lay  down  at  the  foot  of  a  pine 
tree  to  sleep. 

"Just  at  gray  dawn,  Mr.  Davis's  servant,  Jim,  awakened  me. 
He  said:  'Colonel,  do  you  hear  that  firing?'  I  sprang  up  and 
said :  '  Run  and  wake  the  President.'  He  did  so.  Hearing 
nothing  as  I  pulled  on  my  boots,  I  walked  to  the  camp-fire,  some 
fifty  or  less  steps  off,  and  asked  the  cook  if  Jim  was  not  mis- 
taken. At  this  moment  I  saw  eight  or  ten  men  charging 
down  the  road  towards  me.  I  thought  they  were  guerillas, 
trying  to  stampede  the  stock.  I  ran  to  my  saddle,  where  I 
had  slept,  and  began  unfastening  the  holster  to  get  out  my 
revolver,  but  they  were  too  quick  for  me.  Three  men  rode  up 
and  dei^anded  my  pistol,  which,  as  soon  as  I  got  it  out,  I  gave 
up  to  the  leader,  a  bright,  slim,  soldierly  fellow,  dressed  in 
Confederate-grey  clothes.  The  same  man,  I  believe,  captured 
Colonels  AVood  and  Lubbock  just  after.  One  of  my  captors 
ordered  me  to  the  camp-fire  and  stood  guard  over  me.  I  soon 
became  aware  that  they  were  Federals. 

"In  the  meantime  the  firing  went  on.  After  about  ten  min- 
utes, maybe  more,  my  guard  left  me,  and  I  walked  over  to  Mr. 
Davis's  tent,  about  fifty  yards  off.  Mrs.  Davis  was  in  great 
distress.  I  said  to  the  President,  who  was  sitting  outside  on  a 
camp-stool:  'This  is  a  bad  business,  sir.'  He  replied,  sup- 
posing I  knew  about  the  circumstances  of  his  capture :  '  I  would 
have  heaved  the  scoundrel  off  his  horse  as  he  came  up,  but 
she  caught  me  around  the  arms.'  I  understood  what  he  meant, 
how  he  had  proposed  to  dismount  the  trooper  and  get  his 
horse,  for  he  had  taught  me  the  trick.  I  merely  replied  :  '  It 
would  have  been  useless.' 

"Mr.  Davis  w^as  dressed  as  usual.  He  had  on  a  knit  woolen 
visor,  which  he  always  wore  at  night  for  neuralgia.  He  wore 
cavalry  boots.  He  complained  of  chilliness,  and  said  they 
had  taken  away  his  'raglan'(I  believe  they  were  so  called), 
a  light  aquascutum  or  spring  overcoat,  sometimes  called  a 
'waterproof.'  I  had  one  exactly  similar,  except  in  color.  I 
went  to  look  for  it,  and  either  I,  or  some  one  at  my  instance, 
found  it,  and  he  wore  it  afterwards.     His  own  was  not  restored. 

"  As  I  was  looking  for  this  coat,  the  firing  still  continuing,  I 
met  a  mounted  officer,  who,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  was  a  Cap- 
tain Hudson.     Feeling  that  the  cause  was  lost,  and  not  wish- 


406  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLmiE. 

errors.  On  the  night  of  the  9th  I  was  very  much  vrorn  out 
with  travel  and  watching,  and  lay  down  at  the  foot  of  a  pine 
tree  to  sleep. 

"Just  at  gray  dawn,  Mr.  Davis's  servant,  Jim,  awakened  me. 
He  said:  'Colonel,  do  you  hear  that  firing?'  I  sprang  up  and 
said :  ^  Run  and  wake  the  President.'  He  did  so.  Hearing 
nothing  as  I  pulled  on  my  boots,  I  walked  to  the  camp-fire,  some 
fifty  or  less  steps  off,  and  asked  the  cook  if  Jim  was  not  mis- 
taken. At  this  moment  I  saw  eight  or  ten  men  charging 
down  the  road  towards  me.  I  thought  they  were  gueriUas, 
trying  to  stampede  tlie  stock.  I  ran  to  my  saddle,  where  I 
had  slept,  and  began  unfastening  the  holster  to  get  out  my 
revolver,  but  they  M'ere  too  quick  for  me.  Three  men  rode  up 
and  demanded  my  pistol,  which,  as  soon  as  I  got  it  out,  I  gave 
up  to  the  leader,  a  bright,  slim,  soldierly  fellow,  dressed  in 
Confederate-gro}^  clothes.  The  same  man,  I  believe,  captured 
Colonels  Wood  and  Lubbock  just  after.  One  of  my  captors 
ordered  me  to  the  camp-fire  and  stood  guard  over  me.  I  soon 
became  aware  that  they  were  Federals. 

"In  the  meantime  the  firing  went  on.  After  about  ten  min- 
utes, maybe  more,  my  guard  left  me,  and  I  walked  over  to  Mr. 
Davis's  tent,  about  fifty  yards  off.  ]\Irs.  Davis  was  in  great 
distress.  I  said  to  the  President,  who  was  sitting  outside  on  a 
camp-stool:  'This  is  a  bad  business,  sir.'  He  replied,  sup- 
posing I  knew  about  the  circumstances  of  his  capture :  '  I  would 
have  heaved  the  scoundrel  off  his  horse  as  he  came  up,  but 
she  caught  me  around  the  arms.'  I  understood  what  he  meant, 
how  he  had  proposed  to  dismount  the  trooper  and  get  his 
horse,  for  he  had  taught  me  the  trick.  I  merely  replied  :  '  It 
would  have  been  useless.' 

"Mr.  Davis  was  dressed  as  usual.  He  had  on  a  knit  woolen 
visor,  which  he  always  wore  at  night  for  neuralgia.  He  wore 
cavalry  boots.  He  complained  of  chilliness,  and  said  they 
had  taken  away  his  'raglan'(I  believe  they  were  so  called), 
a  light  aquascutum  or  spring  overcoat,  sometimes  called  a 
'waterproof  I  had  one  exactly  similar,  except  in  color.  I 
went  to  look  for  it,  and  either  I,  or  some  one  at  my  instance, 
found  it,  and  he  wore  it  afterwards.     His  own  was  not  restored. 

"  As  I  was  looking  for  this  coat,  the  firing  still  continuing,  I 
met  a  mounted  officer,  who,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  was  a  Cap- 
tain Hudson.     Feeling  that  the  cause  was  lost,  and  not  wish- 


CLOSE  OF  TUE  WAR.  407 

ing  useless  bloodshed,  I  said  to  hira:  'Captain,  your  men  are 
fighting  each  other  overyonder.'  Heanswered  very  positively: 
'You  have  an  armed  escort.'  I  replied:  'You  have  our  uhole 
camp;  I  know  your  men  are  fighting  each  othtr.  We  have 
nobody  on  that  side  of  the  slough.'  He  then  rode  off.  Colonel 
Lubbock  had  a  conversation  nearly  identical  with  Colonel 
Pritchard,  who  was  not  polite,  I  believe.  You  can  learn  from 
Colonel  Lubbock  about  it. 

"Not  long  afterwards,  seeing  Mr.  Davis  in  altercation  with 
an  officer — Colonel  Pritchard — I  went  up.  Mr.  Davis  was 
denunciatory  in  his  remarks.  The  account  given  by  Wilson 
is  fabulous,  except  so  far  as  Mr.  Davis's  remark  is  concerned, 
that '  their  conduct  was  not  that  of  gentlemen,  but  of  ruffians.' 
Pritchard  did  not  make  the  reply  attributed  to  him;  I  could 
swear  to  that.  My  recollection  is  that  he  said  in  substance, 
and  in  an  otfensive  manner,  'that  he  (Davis)  was  a  prisoner 
and  could  afford  to  talk  so,'  and  walked  away.  Colonel  Harn- 
den's  manner  was  conciliatory,  if  he  was  the  other  officer.  If 
I  am  not  mistaken,  the  first  offense  was  his  addressing  !Mr. 
Davis  as  'Jeff.,'  or  some  such  rude  familiarity.  But  this  you 
can  verify.  I  tried  just  afterwards  to  reconcile  Mr.  Davis  to 
the  situation, 

"On  the  route  to  Macon,  three  days  afterwards,  Mrs.  Davis 
complained  to  me  with  great  bitterness  that  her  trunks  had 
been  ransacked,  the  contents  taken  out.  and  tumbled  back 
with  the  leaves  sticking  to  them. 

"  I  had  not  seen  Mr.  Davis's  capture.  I  was  with  him  until 
we  were  parted  at  Fortress  Monroe.  Personally,  I  was  treated 
with  as  much  respect  as  I  cared  for.  The  officers  were  rather 
gushing  than  otherwise,  and  talked  freely.  Some  were  coarse 
men,  and  talked  of  everything;  but  I  never  heard  of  Mr, 
Davis's  alleged  disguise  until  I  saw  it  in  a  New  York  Herald, 
the  day  I  got  to  Fort  Delaware.  I  was  astonished,  and  denounced 
it  as  a  falsehood.  The  next  day  I  was  placed  in  solitary  con- 
finement, and  remained  there.  I  do  not  believe  it  possible  that 
these  ten  days  could  have  been  passed  with  our  captors  with- 
out an  allusion  to  it,  if  it  had  not  been  an  after-thought  or 
something  to  he  kept  from  us.  .         .         . 

"Very  sincerely  yours, 

"Wm.  PjiESTON  Johnston.'* 


408  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 


LETTER  FROM  EX-GOVERNOR  LUBBOCK,  OP  TEXAS,  LATE  AIDE  TO 
PRESIDENT   DAVIS. 

"  Galveston,  August  2, 1877. 
"Major  W.  T,  Walthall: 

"Dear  Sir — Yours  of  the  28th  came  to  hand  a  day  or  two 
since,  finding  me  quite  busy.  At  the  earliest  moment  I  perused 
the  article  you  allude  to  in  your  letter,  which  a])peared  in  the 
Weekly  Times,  of  Philadelphia,  of  July  7th.  It  does  really 
appear  that  certain  parties,  with  the  view  of  keeping  them- 
selves before  the  public,  will  continue  to  write  the  most  base, 
calumnious,  and  slanderous  articles,  calculated  to  keep  the 
wounds  of  the  past  open  and  sore.  Such  a  writer  now  appears 
in  General  James  H.  Wilson,  whose  sole  aim  seems  to  be  to 
that  of  traducing  and  misrepresenting  the  circumstances  of 
the  capture  of  President  Davis  and  his  small  party,  who,  it 
would  appear,  were  pursued  by  some  fifteen  thousand  gallant 
soldiers,  commanded  by  this  distinguished  general.  I  shall 
leave  it  to  you  and  others  better  qualified  than  myself  to  reply 
to  this  'Chapter  of  the  Unwritten  History  of  the  War.'  I 
have  this,  however,  to  say:  I  left  Richmond  with  President 
Davis  in  the  same  car,  and  from  that  day  to  the  time  ot  our  sepa- 
ration (he  being  detained  at  Fortress  Monroe  and  I  sent  to 
Fort  Delaware)  he  was  scarcely  ever  ought  of  my  sight,  day 
or  night. 

"  The  night  before  the  morning  of  our  capture  Colonel  Wil- 
liam P.  Johnston  slept  very  near  the  tent.  Colonel  John  Taylor 
Wood  and  myself  were  under  a  pine  tree,  some  fifty  to  one 
hundred  feet  off.  Our  camp  was  surprised  just  a  while  before 
day.  I  was  with  Mr.  Davis  and  his  family  in  a  very  few  mo- 
ments, and  never  did  see  anything  of  an  attempted  disguise  or 
escape  until  after  I  had  been  confined  in  Fort  Delaware  several 
weeks,  I  then  pronounced  it  a  base  falsehood.  We  were 
guarded  by  Colonel  Pritchard's  command  until  we  reached 
Fortress  Monroe.  I  talked  freely  with  officers  and  men,  and 
on  no  occasion  did  I  hear  anything  of  the  kind  mentioned. 

"Judge  Reagan  and  myself  had  entered  into  a  compact  that 
we  would  never  desert  or  leave  him,  remaining  to  contribute,  if 
possible,  to  his  well-being  and  comfort,  and  share  his  fortune, 
whatever  might  befall.     My  bed-mate,  Colonel  John  Taylor 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAE.  409 

"Wood  (one  of  the  bravest  and  purest  of  men),  having  been  a 
naval  officer  of  the  United  States,  and  having  been  charged 
with  violating  the  rules  of  war  in  certain  captures  made, 
deeming  it  prudent  to  make  his  escape,  informed  me  of  his 
intention  and  invited  me  to  accompany  him.  I  declined  to 
avail  myself  of  the  favorable  opportunity  presented,  telling 
him  of  my  compact  with  Judge  Reagan.     lie  did  escape. 

"The  conduct  of  the  captors  on  that  occasion  was  marked 
by  anything  but  decency  and  soldierly  bearing.  They  found 
no  preparation  for  defense,  and  encountered  no  resistance  at 
all.  Mr,  Davis,  Judge  Reagan,  Colonel  William  Preston  John- 
ston, Colonel  John  Taylor  Wood,  a  young  gentleman  (a  Mr. 
Barnwell,  of  South  Carolina,)  who  escaped,  and  myself  consti- 
tuted the  President's  party.  Colonel  Harrison,  the  private 
secretary  of  the  President,  and  a  few  paroled  soldiers,  were 
with  Mrs.  Davis  and  party,  protecting  their  little  baggage,  &c. 

"Upon  taking  the  camp,  they  plundered  and  robbed  every 
one  of  all  and  every  article  they  could  get  hold  of.  They  stole 
the  watches,  jewelry,  money,  clothing,  &c.  I  believe  I  was  the 
only  one  of  the  party  not  robbed. 

"The  man  and  patriot,  who  a  few  days  before  was  at  the 
head  of  a  government,  was  treated  by  his  captors  with  uncall- 
ed for  indignity;  so  much  so  that  I  became  indignant,  and  so 
completely  unhinged  and  exasperated  that  I  called  upon  the 
officers  to  protect  him  from  insult,  threatening  to  kill  the  par- 
ties engaged  in  such  conduct. 

"I  cannot  see  how  Mr.  Davis  could  speak  of  Colonel  Pritch- 
ard  or  his  command  with  any  degree  of  patience,  as  we  all  know 
that  Mrs,  Davis  was  robbed  of  her  horses  (a  present  from  the 
people  of  Richmond),  the  money  for  which  she  sold  her  trink- 
ets, silverware,  &c.,  was  stolen,  and  no  effort  was  made  to  have  it 
returned  to  her.  Time  and  time  again  they  promised  that 
the  watches  stolen  on  that  occasion  should  be  returned,  that 
the  command  would  be  paroled,  and  the  stolen  property  restor- 
ed to  the  owners;  but  it  was  never  done,  nor  any  attempt  made, 
■"hat  I  can  recall  to  my  mind. 

"  A  Captain  Douglas  stole  Judge  Reagan's  saddle,  and  used 
it  from  the  day  we  were  captured. 

"They  appropriated  our  horses  and  other  private  property. 
But  why  dwell  upon  this  wretchedly  disagreeable  subject?  I 
hope  and  pray  that  the  whole  truth  will  some  day  be  written, 


410  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

and  I  feel  assured  when  it  is  done  we  of  the  South  will  stand 
to  all  time  a  vindicated  people.  As  for  him  who  is  the  target 
for  all  of  the  miserable  scribblers,  and  of  those  unscrupulous 
and  corrupt  men  living  on  the  abuse  heaped  u'^on  tlic  South- 
ern people  by  fanning  the  embers  of  the  late  war — when  he  is 
gone  from  hence  history  will  write  him  as  one  of  the  truest 
and  purest  of  men,  a  dignified  and  bold  soldier,  an  enlighten- 
ed and  intelligent  statesman,  a  man  whose  whole  aim  was  to 
benefit  his  country  and  his  people. 

"I  know  him  well.  I  have  been  with  him  under  all  circum- 
stances, and  have  ever  found  him  good  and  true,  IIow  wretch- 
ed the  spirit  that  will  continue  to  traduce  such  a  man!  IIow 
miserably  contemptible. the  party  that  will  refuse  to  recognize 
such  a  man  as  a  citizen  of  the  country  in  whose  defense  his 
best  days  were  spent  and  his  blood  freely  spilt! 

"I  have  the  honor  to  be, yours  very  respectfully, 

"F.  R.  Lubbock." 

Postmaster- General  Reagan  wrote  an  exceedingly  interesting 
account  of  the  retreat  and  capture,  and  Hon.  George  Davis, 
Attorney-General,  wrote  also  a  very  sharp  reply  to  Wilson. 

Mr.  Davis's  own  account  in  his  book  is  of  deep  interest  and 
value,  and  he  wrote  to  his  old  friend  and  fellow-cadet  at  West 
Point,  Colonel  Crafts  J.  Wright,  of  Cincinnati,  two  letters  of  deep 
interest;  which  effectually  disposed  of  the  slanders  against  him. 
We  regret  that  our  space  will  not  allow  us  to  reproduce  all  of 
these. 

Nor  have  we  space  to  go  into  the  history  of  the  Confederate 
treasure  and  what  became  of  it,  but  those  interested  will  find 
in  the  Soutliern  Historical  Society  Papers  a  full  statement  of  that 
question,  and  the  most  conclusive  proof  that  any  insinuation — 
from  whatever  source  it  may  come — that  Mr.  Davis  had  one 
dollar  of  that  gold,  or  ever  derived  the  slightest  benefit  from 
it,  is  one  of  the  basest  calumnies  that  partisan  malignity 
ever  invented  against  even  the  vicarious  sufifererof  the  Con- 
federacy. 


PARTING  WITH  HIS  FAMILY. 
MR.  Davis  IS  rkpresvntf.d  as  jrsx  about  to  dts.mbark  from  the  Steamer  Clybe.  which 

BKOUGHT  iml  AND  OTHER  PKISONFR^  FROM   SAVANNAH  TO  THE  CaSE-MATE  AT 

Foetkess  MoNKoa. 


412  TBE  DAVIS  MEMOBIAL  VOLUME. 


HIS    BIPEISONMENT. 

Craven's  "  Prison  Life  of  Jefferson  Davis  "  gives  so  full  and, 
in  the  main,  accurate  an  account  of  this  burning  disgrace  to 
this  great  country,  that  we  prefer  not  to  dwell  on  the  details, 
but  refer  the  reader  to  that  book  for  the  story  of  how  he  was 
ironed  and  treated  in  other  ways  such  as  only  the  refinement 
of  brutal  cruelty  could  invent. 

General  Richard  Taylor  gives  this  account  of  his  visit  to  the 
distinguished  prisoner,  which  he  obtained  permission  to  do 
after  a  long  waiting  in  Washington.     He  says: 

"By  steamer  from  Baltimore  I  went  down  Chesapeake  Bay, 
and  arrived  at  Fortress  Monroe  in  the  early  morning.  General 
Burton,  the  commander,  whose  civility  was  marked,  and 
who  bore  himself  like  a  gentleman  and  soldier,  received  me  on 
the  dock  and  took  me  to  his  quarters  to  breakfast,  and  to  await 
the  time  to  see  Mr.  Davis. 

"It  was  with  some  emotion  that  I  reachea  the  casemate  in 
which  Mr.  Davis  was  confined.  There  were  two  rooms,  in  the 
outer  of  which,  near  the  entrance,  stood  a  sentinel,  and  in  the 
inner  was  Jeff'erson  Davis.  We  met  in  silence,  with  grasp  of 
hands.  After  au  interval  he  said,  'This  is  kind,  but  no  more 
than  I  expected  of  J^ou.'  Pallid,  worn,  gray,  bent,  fee'ble,  suf- 
fering from  inflammation  of  the  ej^es,  he  was  a  painful  sight  to 
a  friend.  He  uttered  no  plaint  and  made  no  allusion  to  irons 
(which  had  been  removed);  said  the  light  kept  all  night  in  his 
room  hurt  his  eyes  a  little,  and,  added  to  the  noise  made  every 
two  hours  by  relieving  the  sentry,  prevented  much  sleep;  but 
matters  had  changed  for  the  better  since  the  arrival  of  General 
Burton,  who  was  all  kindness,  and  strained  his  orders  to  the 
utmost  in  his  behalf.  I  told  him  of  my  reception  at  Washing- 
ton by  the  President,  Mr.  Seward,  and  others,  of  the  attentions 
of  Generals  Grant  and  Humphreys,  who  promoted  my  wish 
to  see  him,  and  that  with  such  aid  I  was  confident  of  obtain- 
ing permission  for  his  wife  to  stay  with  him.  I  could  solicit 
favors  for  him,  having  declined  any  for  myself.  Indeed,  the 
very  accident  of  position,  that  enabled  me  to  get  access  to  the 
governing  authorities,  made  indecent  even  the  supposition  of 


AT  FORTRRS=^  MONROE. 
No.  1.— Exterior  of  ca-seinaie  in  wliicii  Mr.  Davis  was  conflned 
No.  2.— General  view  of  tlm  Foi  i. 
No.  3.— Interior  of  tlie  Casemate. 
Wx>.  4.— H«volatlonAry  R«Uo8. 


414  Tfft:  DAVIS  MmrORIAL  VOLUME. 

my  acceptance  of  anything  personal  while  a  single  man  re- 
mained under  the  ban  for  serving  the  Southern  cause;  and 
therefore  I  had  no  fears  of  misconstruction,  Hope  of  meeting 
his  family  cheered  him  much,  and  he  asked  questions  about 
the  conditions  and  prospects  of  the  South,  which  I  answered 
as  favorably  as  possible,  passing  over  things  that  would  have 
grieved  hin.  In  some  way  he  had  learned  of  attacks  on  his 
character  and  conduct  made  by  come  Southern  curs,  thinking 
to  ingratiate  themselves  with  the  ruling  powers.  I  could  not 
deny  this,  but  remarked  that  the  curse  of  unexpected  defeat 
and  suffering  was  to  develop  the  basest  passions  of  the  human 
heart.  Had  he  escaped  out  of  the  country,  it  was  possible  he 
might  have  been  made  a  scape-goat  by  the  Southern  people, 
and,  great  as  were  the  sufferings  that  he  had  endured,  they 
were  as  nothing  to  this,  and  too  contemptible  for  notice;  for  now 
his  calamities  had  served  to  endear  him  to  all.  I  think  that 
he  derived  consolation  from  this  view. 

*'The  day  passed  with  much  talk  of  a  less  disturbing  char- 
acter, and  in  the  evening  I  returned  to  Baltimore  and  Wash- 
ington. After  some  delay  Mr.  Davis's  family  was  permitted  to 
join  him,  and  he  speedily  recovered  strength.  Later  I  made  a 
journey  or  two  to  Richmond,  Virginia,  on  business  connected 
with  his  trial,  then  supposed  to  be  impending. 

"Th.e  slight  service,  if  simple  discharge  of  duty  can  be  so 
called,  I  was  enabled  to  render  Mr.  Davis,  was  repaid  ten  thous- 
and fold.  In  the  month  of  March,  1875,  my  devoted  wife  was 
released  from  suffering,  long  and  patiently  endured,  originat- 
ing in  grief  for  the  loss  of  her  children  and  exposure  during 
the  war.  Smitten  by  this  calamity,  to  which  all  that  had  gone 
before  seemed  as  blessings,  I  stood  by  her  coffin  ere  it  was  closed 
to  look  for  the  last  time  upon  features  that  death  had 
respected  and  restored  to  their  girlish  beauty.  Mr.  Davis  came 
to  my  side  and  stooped  reverently  to  touch  the  fair  brow,  when 
the  tenderness  of  his  heart  overcame  him  and  he  burst  into 
tears.  His  example  completely  unnerved  me  for  the  time,  but 
was  of  service  in  the  end.  For  many  succeeding  days  he  came 
to  me,  and  was  as  gentle  as  a  J'oung  mother  witli  her  suffering 
infant.  Memory  will  ever  recall  Jefferson  Davis  as  he  stood 
with  me  by  the  coffin." 

But  of  all  of  the  tender  and  touching  things  that  have  been 
said  about  INIr.  Davis  none  have  been  more  appropriate  and 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR.  41S 

beautiful  than  the  address  of  the  venerable  and  beloved  Rev. 
Dr.  Charles  Minnigerode,  the  Rector-Emeritus  of  St.  Paul's 
church,  Richmond,  "who  was  through  so  many  years  the  pas- 
tor of  Mr.  Davis,  made  in  St.  Paul's  church,  Richmond,  on 
December  the  11th,  1SS9. 

We  will  not  mar  the  address  but  give  it  in  full: 

ADDRESS   OF    DR.    MINXIGERODE. 

"The  first  time  I  ever  saw  Jefferson  Davis  was  when,  as 
President  of  the  Confederate  States,  he  had  arrived  in  Rich- 
mond and  held  his  first  reception  at  the  Spotswood  hotel. 
Our  acquaiiatance,  thus  began,  soon  grew  into  friendly  inter- 
course that  became  closer  and  closer,  till  an  intimacy  sprung 
up  which  ripened  into  companionsliip  in  joy  and  sorrow,  and 
bound  us  together  in  terms  of  mutual  trust  and  friendship 
that  was  to  last  as  long  as  life,  and  which  will  remain  forever 
one  of  my  dearest  remembrances. 

"  The  last  time  I  saw  him  was  a  few  j'ears  ago,  when  we  met 
at  Atlanta,  Ga.  I  was  going  there  with  my  wife  to  pay  a  visit 
to  one  of  my  sons,  not  knowing  or  remembering  that  tlie  day 
of  my  arrival  was  the  day  when,  on  the  occasion  of  the 
unveiling  of  the  statue  of  Hon.  B.  IT.  Hill,  Mr.  Davis  was  to 
deliver  the  oration.  On  entering  the  city  I  wondered  what 
the  holiday  appearance,  the  crowded  streets,  the  festooned 
houses  could  mean,  but  was  too  late  for  the  exercises.  After 
dinner  I  went  to  call  on  him  at  Mrs.  Hill's,  where  he  was 
staying,  resting  at  the  time,  and  excused  to  visitors.  But  on 
seeing  m}''  name  on  the  card  the  kind  lady  carried  me  fo  his 
room.  As  I  entered  the  door  and  he  looked  up  from  the  sofa 
where  he  was  reclining,  he  sprang  up,  and,  rushing  upon  me, 
clasped  me  in  his  arms,  and  there  locked  in  each  other's 
embrace,  tears  testified  the  depth  of  our  joy  once  more  to 
meet.  An  hour  never  to  be  forgotten  by  me!  nor  the  solemn 
feeling  that  possessed  us  both  at  our  parting,  when,  in  sup- 
pressed voice,  he  said:  'This  is  the  last  time  we  have  looked 
upon  each  other  on  earth.' 

"To  you,  dear  brethren,  and  especially  the  rector,  war- 
dens, and  vestry  of  this  church,  and  to  the  whole  congrega- 
tion, I  return  my  thanks,  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  that 


lie  Tan  £)A  ns  MEMOttlAl  VOL  VMM. 

you  have  honored  me  with  the  invitation  to  meet  with  you  on 
this  occasion  and  unite  with  you  in  doing  honor  to  the  memory 
of  the  great,  the  honored,  noble  son  of  the  South — Jefferson 
Davis;  that  among  the  many  proud  tributes  of  praise  and 
glory  offered  at  his  burial  to-day,  I,  in  my  humble  position  of 
what  proved  to  be  his  life-long  pastor,  may  lay  a  wreath  of 
loving  remembrance  on  his  tomb. 

"  We  humbly  bow  in  human  sorrow  to  the  Divine  Disposer 
of  all  things,  but  lift  our  hearts  in  holy  hope  that,  from  a  life 
of  toil  and  labor,  and  martyrdom,  he  has  entered  upon  the 
rest  in  heaven,  and  obtained  a  crown  brighter  than  any  crown 
that  earth  can  weave — the  crown  of  glory  and  eternal  life. 
These  are  strong  words,  but  it  is  my  firm  belief,  my  brethren ; 
and  I  believe  that  on  this  point  the  evidences  of  my  hope  are 
stronger  than,  perhaps,  those  of  any  other  man.  I  have  been  his 
pastor  ever  since  the  spring  of  1861 ;  been  with  him  through  the 
eventful  days  of  those  many  years  of  the  war  and  the  sad  days 
that  followed;  known  the  struggles,  the  hopes,  and  fears  of  his 
inner  life;  saw  him  in  his  darkest  trials;  sounded  his  heart,  laid 
open  to  me  unreservedly,  and  beheld  the  man — the  man  him- 
self, the  heart,  disposition,  character — in  all  his  faith  and  purity 
and  gentleness,  all  his  weaknesses,  as  his  firmness  of  principle, 
his  untarnished  honesty  and  unhesitating  conscientiousness,  his 
perseverance  through  every  doubt  and  every  difficulty,  his  con- 
quest of  himself  amidst  the  indignities  he  had  to  bear,  his 
undying  love  to  his  neighbor,  beginning  with  his  own  family, 
through  all  the  gradations  of  the  society  in  which  he  moved, 
his  tender,  generous  feeling  towards  the  poor  and  with  bleeding 
heart  toward  his  suffering  people,  true  to  his  country,  true  to 
his  God,  Of  course,  he  had  his  faults;  he  would  not  have 
been  human  without  them;  but  it  was  just  in  the  conflict  with 
his  failings  and  the  reality  of  his  repentance,  the  determina- 
tion to  deal  earnestly  with  himself,  and  not  to  be  satisfied  with 
'a  name  to  live  without  the  power;'  just  in  these  internal  con- 
flicts, open  to  the  eye  of  God,  he  was  preserved  from  self- 
deception  or  spiritual  pride,  and  was  the  humble  petitioner  for 
grace  before  the  throne  of  God.  Those  lonely  rides  which  he 
so  often  took,  I  am  sure,  were  not  only  filled  with  anxious 
thoughts  about  his  country  and  plans  for  the  guidance  and 
defense  of  his  people,  but  I  am  convinced  they  often  were  the 
time  of  sweet,  humble,  trusting,  prayerful  intercourse  with  his 
Heavenly  Father  and  his  Saviour. 


CLOS^  OP  THE  WAU,  417 

"People  have  misunderstood  Mr.  Davis  very  much.  Before 
I  knew  him  I  often  heard  him  spoken  of  as  a 'fire-eater;'  but  I 
am  sure  he  did  not  deserve  tliat  name,  unless  it  means  the 
man,  firm  and  bold  and  uncompromising,  standing  by  what 
is  right  even  unto  death.  No,  he  was  no  brawler,  no  dema- 
gogue, no  friend  to  violence.  It  was  a  sore  trouble  to  him  to 
yield  to  what  appeared  to  him  at  last  the  necessity  of  seces- 
sion ;  and  wrath,  cruelty,  bloodthirstin^ss  were  far  from  him. 
His  real  nature  was  gentle,  and  conscience  ruled  him  supreme. 
Sucli  was  the  sense  of  his  responsibility,  tliat  whilst  when  it 
was  plain,  decided  action,  albeit  the  most  dangerous,  was 
needed,  he  never  flinched;  but  such  was  his  scrupulous  con- 
scientiousness, that  at  times,  when  the  issue  was  not  clear,  he 
would  stay  to  weigh  so  fully  the  pros  and  cons  that  this  delay 
at  times  may  have  interfered  witli  a  success.  And  I  have  rea- 
son to  believe  that  it  was  his  love  and  attachment  for  Rich- 
mond which  caused  him  to  confine  the  troops  in  the  trenches, 
rather  than  give  up  his  capital  in  time  to  meet  the  enemy  in 
the  open  field  while  yet  there  was  hope  in  LeeVarmy  to  cope 
with  him. 

"I  never  meddled  with  his  policy  or  measures  of  his  govern- 
ment ;  still  less  did  I  ever  use  his  confidence  for  any  personal 
purposes.     Mr.  Davis  was  not  the  man  for  that. 

"  On  two  occasions  only  I  sought  him  with  the  desire  of  pre- 
senting my  views  on  what  seemed  to  me  important  cases. 
The  time  had  come  for  the  permanent  government  to  take  the 
place  of  the  provisional.  It  was  a  very  critical  time,  and  I 
felt  I  had  a  right  to  direct  the  attention  of  the  President  to 
some  thoughts  which  any  one  had  the  right  to  give  utterance 
to,  and  which  I,  as  his  pastor,  could  without  impropriety  lay 
before  him.  I  did  so,  supported  in  my  view  by  one  of  the 
most  judicious  men  of  Richmond,  John  Stewart,  of  Brookhill. 
It  was  this  :  We  were  starting  upon  a  new  epoch  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Confederacy.  To  start  aright,  and  hope  for  any 
lasting  success,  we  must  have  the  favor  of  God,  tlie  King  of 
Kings,  and  the  God  of  battles.  That  was  all  acknowledged 
by  us  openly.  Let  us  now,  I  wrote  to  him,  do  it  in  good  earn- 
est! I  reminded  Mr.  Davis  that  all  history  showed  that  the 
character  of  the  ruler  was  apt  to  become  the  guide  or  pattern 
of  the  people;  that  the  great  lesson  of  the  historical  books  of 
the  Bible — the  books  of  Kings  and  of  Chronicles — was  that 
27 


418  THE  DA  Vh'.  MEMORIAL  VOL UMK 

•as  the  king,  so  the  people;'  that  evil  examples,  in  thewords 
of  Jeremiah,  *niade  the  people  sin,'  and  that  God's  judgment 
will  overtake  both;  whilst  the  people  of  Judah  always  re- 
pented and  did  right  whenever  their  King  adhered  to  the  law, 
and  Jehovah's  blessing  was  upon  both.  From  this  I  pressed 
his  responsibility  in  this  respect,  and  adjured  him  as  such  at 
this  critical  point  manfully  to  assume  this  position,  that  as 
God  alone  can  guide  us  aright  and  bless  us,  he  should  show 
the  way  and  begin  right  by  pressing  this  necessity  of  having 
God  on  our  side  on  his  people  in  the  address  he  was  to  make 
from  the  Washington  monument  at  the  Capitol  Square,  and 
exhorting  them  to  unite  with  him  in  the  prayer  for  God's 
favor,  and  solemnly  puttmg  our  welfare  and  success,  as  well 
as  the  means  that  should  lead  to  it,  under  His  holy  and  right- 
eous care  and  protection, 

"Mr.  Davis  never  answered  it,  and  in  all  my  intercourse  with 
him  I  never  referred  to  it.  But  he  did  what  I  asked  him  to 
do. 

"The  only  other  time  I  ventured  to  speak  to  liim  on  the  policy 
to  be  pursued  was  when,  caused  by  some  proclamation  or  some 
outrageous  act  on  the  part  of  our  invaders,  the  people  de- 
manded retaliation  and  the  public  papers  loudly  demanded 
this  course.  Our  interview  was  most  harmonious,  and  Mr. 
Davis  used  these  noble  words:  'If  our  enemies  do  or  should 
do  wrong,  that  is  no  reason  or  excuse  that  we  should  do  so, 
too,' 

"It  was  soon  after  his  inauguration  that  he  united  himself 
with  the  church.  Our  intercourse  had  become  more  frequent, 
and  turned  more  and  more  on  the  subject  of  religion;  and  by 
his  wife's  advice  I  went  to  see  him  on  the  subject  of  confessing 
Christ.  He  met  me  more  than  half  way,  and  expressed  his 
desire  to  do  so,  and  unite  himself  with  the  church ;  that  he 
must  be  a  Christian  he  felt  in  his  inmost  soul.  He  spoke  very  • 
earnestly  and  most  humbly  of  needing  the  cleansing  blood  of 
Jesus  and  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  but  in  the  conscious- 
ness of  his  insufficiency  felt  some  doubt  whether  he  had  the 
right  to  come. 

"  All  that  was  natural  and  right ;  but  soon  it  settled  this  ques- 
tion with  a  man  so  resolute  in  doing  v/hat  bethought  his  duty. 
I  baptized  him  hypothetically,  for  he  was  not  certain  if  he  had 
ever  been  baptized.     When  the  day  of  confirmation  came  it  was 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR,  419 

quite  m  keeping  witli  his  resolute  cliaracter,  that  when  .the 
Bishop  called  tlie  caiulidates  to  the  chancel  he  was  the  first 
to  rise,  and,  as  it  were,  lead  the  others  on,  among  whom  were 
General  Gorgas  and  several  other  officers. 

"  From  tliat  day,  so  fur  as  I  can  know  and  judge,  '  he  never 
looked  back/  He  never  ceased  trying  to  come  np  to  his  bap- 
tismal vow  and  lead  a  Cliristian  life.  And  so  he  went  on 
bravely  and  perseveringly,  even  when  it  became  clear  that 
hope  of  success  was  failing.  He  could  not  leave  his  post.  He 
did  not  lose  heart.  The  cause  lost — defeated  for  a  time — he 
felt  sure  would  yet  bring  forth  blessings  upon  the  country. 

"  We  know  what  followed  and  what  was  his  cruel  fate.  Here 
opens  a  page  of  noble  martyrdom  and  patient  endurance  which 
none  can  fully  realize  who  have  not  seen  it. 

"Soon  after  he  was  arrested  and  confined  in  Fortress  Mon- 
roe, I  wrote  President  Andrew  Johnson,  petitioning  for  per- 
mission to  visit  Mr.  Davis,  as  his  pastor,  and  minister  to  him. 

"'At  Bishop  Johns'  advice — rather  against  my  judgrhent — it 
has  accompanied  by  no  argument,  the  Bishop  saying,  that  sup- 
porting it  by  an  argument  would  indicate  that  it  was  by  the 
petitionernimselt  not  looked  upon  as  natural,  right  and  proper 
in  itself. 

"  Mr.  Johnson  deigned  no  answer. 

"In  October  following  I  received  a  communication  from  some 
friends  that  they  thought  the  time  was  favorable  to  again  make 
the  application. 

"I  did  so,  but  this  time  gave  what  I  thought  was  a  full  and 
unanswerable  argument.     And  it  proved  so. 

"They  were  ladies  who  were  acting  with  mc,  and  upon  tlie 
advice  of  a  judicious  friend  they  gave  my  paper  to  Rev.  Dr. 
Hall,  rector  of  the  Church  of  E[)iphany  and  pastor  of  Mr. 
Stanton,  Secretary  of  War.  He  first  was  adverse  to  acting  in 
the  matter,  but  the  ladies  begged  him  at  least  to  read  the  peti- 
tion. He  did  so,  and  consented  to  take  it  in  charge  to  Mr. 
Stanton,  and  he  got  me  a  very  full  permit  to  visit  Mr.  Davis  as 
his  pastor 

"  From  that  time  I  went  wnenever  I  coula  to  see  my  beloved 
and  martyred  friend,  and  precious  were  tlje  days  and  hours 
spent  with  him.  I  loved  that  lowly,  patient,  God-fearing  soul. 
It  was  in  these  private  interviews  that  I  learned  to  appreciate 
his  noble  Christian  character;  'pure  in  heart,'  unselfish,  with- 


420  TMJE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

out  guile,  and  loyal  unto  death  to  his  conscience  and  convic- 
tions. 

"Mr.  Stanton's  permit  must  have  been  very  liberal,  for 
General  Miles,  then  in  command,  who  received  me  politely 
enough,  did  not  act  for  more  than  a  day,  after  which  he  became 
very  cordial  and  advanced  all  my  wishes.  He  evidently  had 
asked  and  received  fuller  instructions  from  the  Secretary. 

"I  must  say  here  that  the  imprisonment  itself  was  better 
than  those  who  had  ordered  it.  All  at  the  fortress  were  glad 
that  the  indignities  of  putting  that  man  in  irons  were  stopped, 
even  for  the  honor  of  the  country.  The  officers  were  all  polite 
and  sympathetic,  and  the  common  soldiers — not  one  of  them 
adopted  the  low  practice  of  even  high  dignitanes  and  officers, 
who  seemed  to  glory  in  speaking  of  him  disrespectfully  in  a 
sneering  way  as  *  Jeffi  Davis.'  Not:  one  of  tlie  common  soldiers 
but  spoke  of  him  in  a  subdued  and  kindly  tone  as  '  Mr.  Davis.' 

"  On  my  first  visit  I  came  on  Saturday  evening,  and  spent  a 
pleasant  enough  evening  at  the  headquarters  of  General  Miles, 
who  promised  to  take  me  to  Mr.  Davis's  cell  next  morning 
(Sunday),  but  he  waited  till  Monday  morning. 

"  I  cannot  describe  my  meeting  with  Mr.  Davis  in  his  cell. 
He  knew  nothing  of  my  coming,  and  it  was  difficult  to  control 
ourselves. 

"  Mr.  Davis's  room  (he  had  been  removed  from  the  casemate,) 
was  an  end  room  on  the  second  floor  of  Carroll  hall,  with  a 
passage  and  window  on  each  side  of  the  room ;  and  an  ante- 
room in  front  separated  by  an  open  grated  door — a  sentinel  on 
each  passage  and  before  the  grated  door  of  the  ante-room;  six 
eyes  always  upon  him  day  and  night;  all  alone,  no  one  to  see, 
no  one  to  speak  to. 

"  I  must  hurry  on.  You  may  yourselves  make  out  what 
our  conversation  must  have  been. 

'•'  The  noble  man  showed  the  effect  of  the  confinement,  but 
his  spirit  could  not  be  subdued,  and  no  indignity — angry  as  it 
made  him  at  the  time — could  humiliate  him. 

"I  was  his  pastor,  and  of  course  our  conversation  was  influ- 
enced by  that,  and  there  could  be  no  holding  back  between  us. 
I  had  come  to  sympathize  and  comfort  and  pray  with  him. 

"At  last  the  question  of  the  holy  communion  came  up.  I 
really  do  not  remember  whether  he  or  I  first  mentioned  it. 
He  was  very  anxious  to  take  it.     He  was  a  pure  and  pious 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR.  421 

man,  and  felt  the  need  and  value  of  the  means  of  grace.  But 
there  was  one  difficulty.  Could  he  take  it  in  the  proper 
spirit — in  the  frame  of  a  forgiving  mind,  after  all  the  ill- 
treatment  he  had  been  subjected  to?  He  was  too  upright  and 
conscientious  a  Christian  man  *  to  eat  and  drink  univorthily' 
i.  e.,  not  in  the  proper  spirit,  and,  as  far  as  lay  in  him,  in  peace 
with  God  and  man. 

"I  left  him  to  settle  that  question  between  himself  and  his 
own  conscience  and  what  he  understood  God's  law  to  be. 

"In  the  afternoon  General  Miles  took  me  to  him  again.  I 
had  spoken  to  him  about  the  communion,  and  he  promised 
to  make  preparation  for  me. 

"I  found  Mr.  Davis  with  his  mind  made  up.  Knowing  the 
honesty  of  the  man,  and  that  there  would  be,  could  be,  'no 
shamming,'  nor  mere  superstitious  belief  in  the  ordinance,  I 
was  delighted  when  I  found  him  ready  to  commune.  He  had 
laid  the  bridle  upon  his  very  natural  feeling  and  was  ready  to 
pray, 'Father,  forgive  them.' 

"Then  came  the  communion — he  and  I  alone,  no  one  but 
God  with  us.  It  was  one  of  those  cases  where  the  Rubric 
cannot  be  binding.  It  was  night.  The  Fortress  was  so  still 
that  you  could  hear  a  pin  fall.  General  Miles,  with  his  back 
to  us,  leaning  against  the  fireplace  in  the  ante-room,  his  head 
on  his  hands,  not  moving ;  the  sentinels  ordered  to  stand  still, 
and  they  stood  like  statues. 

"I  cannot  conceive  of  a  more  solemn  communion  scene. 
But  it  was  telling  upon  both  of  us,  I  trust,  for  lasting  good. 

"Whenever  I  could  I  went  down  to  see  hira,  if  only  for  an 
hour  or  two;  and  when  his  wife  was  admitted  to  see  him  it 
was  plain  that  their  communings  were  with  God. 

"Time  passed-  not  a  sign  of  any  humiliating  giving  way 
to  the  manner  in  which  he  was  treated ;  he  was  above  that. 
He  suffered,  but  was  willing  to  suffer  in  the  cause  of  the  people 
who  had  given  him  their  confidence,  and  who  still  loved  and 
admired  and  wept  for  the  man  that  so  nobly  represented  the 
cause  which  in  their  hearts  they  considered  right  and  con- 
stitutional. 

"  His  health  began  to  be  affected.  The  officers  of  the  Fortress 
all  felt  that  he  ought  to  have  the  liberty  of  the  fort,  not  only 
because  that  could  in  no  way  facilitate  any  attempt  to  escape, 
but  because  they  knew  he  did  not  wish  to  escape,  and  could 


422  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

not  have  been  induced  to  escape.  He  wanted  to  be  tried  and 
defend  and  justify  his  course.  I  happened  to  be  in  Washing- 
ton for  a  few  hours  at  tliat  time,  and  as  I  had  been  told  by 
Rev.  Dr.  Hall  more  than  once  that  Mr.  Stanton  spoke  of  me 
very  kindly,  he  encouraged  me  to  see  him  about  any  matter 
I  thought  proper  in  Mr.  Davis's  case. 

"I  went  to  see  Mr.  Stanton.  He  had  recently  lost  his  son, 
and  had  been  deeply  distressed— softened,  one  would  think ;  I 
hope  so  all  the  more  as  I  found  him  with  his  remaining  child 
on  his  knees.  I  was  admitted.  A  bow  and  nothing  more.  I 
began  by  expressing  my  thanks  to  him  for  allowing  me  to  visit 
Mr.  Davis,  and  that  as  I  M'as  in  town,  I  thought  it  would 
not  be  uninteresting  to  him  to  hear  a  report  about  Mr.  Davis. 
Not  a  word  in  reply. 

"I  gradually  approached  the  subject  of  Mr.  Davis's  health, 
and  that  without  the  least  danger  of  any  kind  as  to  his  safe 
imprisonment,  he  might  enjoy  some  privileges,  especially  the 
liberty  of  the  fort,  or  there  was  danger  of  his  health  failing. 

"The  silence  was  broken. 

"  'It  makes  no  difference  what  the  state  of  Jeff.  Davis's  health 
is.  His  trial  will  soon  come  on,  no  doubt.  Time  enough  till 
that  settles  it.'  It  settled  it  in  my  leaving  the  presence  of 
that  man. 

"But  the  time  came  for  his  release.  The  way  he  conducted 
himself  just  showed  the  man  whom  no  distress  could  put  down 
nor  a  glimpse  of  hope  could  unduly  excite.  He  had  seen  too 
much  and  had  placed  his  all  in  higher  hands  than  man's. 

"We  brought  him  to  the  Spotswood  hotel,  and  then  to  the 
custom-house.  There  the  trial  was  to  take  place.  We  were  in 
a  carriage,  the  people,  and  especially  the  colored  people,  testi- 
fying their  sympath3^     Mr.  Davis  was  greatly  touched  by  this. 

"All  know  that  the  proceedings  in  court  were  very  brief. 

"I  was  by  his  side.  ]\Ir.  Davis  stood  erect,  looking  steadily 
upon  the  judge,  but  without  either  defiance  or  fear.  He  was 
bailed,  and  the  first  man  to  go  on  his  bond  was  Horace 
Greeley. 

"Our  carriage  passed  with  dimculty  through  the  crowd  of 
rejoicing  negroes  with  their  tender  affection,  climbing  upon 
the  carriage,  shaking  and  kissing  his  hand,  and  calling  out, 
'God  bless  Mars  Davis.'     But  we  got  safely  to  the  Spotswood, 


IME  PRESmEXTfflFTHE- 


i:RATESI-^ES. 


^^^«f  ORIGINAL  SaN-^^^^^ 


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(PyiC     ^.(VcOtfi-'".^:*'       ^-*pA>     >6* -t^/zTa*^ 


^ji-^e*^    ^X't^^.'oi^ 


</^e 


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?4ry^^- 


"^  ■*<*  jU-trtJ  /ux,t,^:2c^ 


^^ez^^  .€,—^    ^If/i-i^i^v  ^td'i^.^^xy  n.-~t.CC  a-t^ct     /^xjjCy  .^xAA-ea-i^    o-^  -m£  ^J-i  o<-t^  /^^r-n-iV  ^ -Mm  CZ'^ij^^.cisC  i^/a.^^   ^^^^ 
P^n,-*'P'>t'^^'<-r-     -^tMp^^  rfc-/  -^W  ^^i<-»t^     ^  -**&-  -^v-ci-^-/  two.  -^La^  C^^-^  tJ'~-y\X^  -^^£^1,  ix.n,<;t     -/ic-tt.  cy$^  .ca.'X.^r*^*^  c/izy  ^t" 


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'-^Jl. 


THE  DAVIS  BAIL  BOND. 


It  will  he  noticed  that  t^yo  of  the  part"es  made  their  mark,  which  was  duly  attested. 
This  was  ow  inp:  to  the  fact  that  one  of  the  gentlemen  had  nearly  lost  his  eyesight ;  and  tils 
Other  was  sick  in  bed,  unable  to  sit  up. 


424  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

"We  found  Mrs.  Davis  awaiting  us,  with  Hon.  George  Davis, 
Attorney-General  of  the  last  Cabinet,  and  a  few  others. 

"Mr.  George  Davis  and  I  just  fell  into  each  other's  arms 
with  tears  in  our  eyes. 

"But  Mr.  Davis  turned  to  me:  'Mr.  Minnigerode,  you  who 
have  been  with  me  in  my  sufferings,  and  comforted  and 
strengthened  me  with  your  prayers,  is  it  not  right  that  we  now 
once  more  should  kneel  down  together  and  return  thanks?' 
There  was  not  a  dry  eye  in  the  room.  Mrs.  Davis  led  the  way 
into  the  adjoining  room,  more  private;  and  there,  in  deep-felt 
prayer  and  thanksgiving,  closed  the  story  of  Jefferson  Davis's 
prison  life. 

"Ah,  this  earth  in  more  senses  than  one  continued  a  prison- 
life  for  him;  a  feeling  from  which  few  of  those  advancing  in 
life  are  wholly  exempt.  But  Mr.  Davis  murmured  not;  did 
not  ask  to  be  taken  away.  He  stayed  and  worked  and  studied 
and  wrote  in  his  home  at  Beauvoir  till  the  Lord  called  him — 
took  his  servant  home  who  had  tried  to  serve  Him  amidst 
danger  and  trials,  wind  and  storms.  He  has  gone  to  his 
reward. 

''And  thou,  oh,  land  of  the  South;  oh,  thou  beautiful  city  of 
Richmond,  thank  God  that  such  a  man  has  been  given  to  you, 
loved  by  you,  and  in  his  memory  is  blessed  to  you.  He  loved 
the  truth ;  he  served  God  and  his  country.  Let  us  go  and  do 
likewise." 

RELEASED    ON   BAIL. 

There  was  a  desperate  effort  to  "hang  Jeff.  Davis"  on  some 
trumped-up  charge. 

First,  it  was  the  charge  of  complicity  in  the  assassination  of 
Mr.  Lincoln,  but  they  could  find  no  evidence,  even  with  a 
pack  of  trained  perjurers  at  their  call,  on  which  Stanton  and 
Holt  dared  to  go  into  trial  even  before  a  military  commis- 
sion. 

Then  he  was  charged  with  cruelty  to  prisoners,  but  the  Con- 
federate records  were  searched  in  vain,  and  stories  of  swift  wit- 
nesses were  canvassed  in  vain,  to  "  make  out  a  case"  against 
him  on  which  they  could  hope  for  a  conviction.  Poor  Wirz, 
on  the  night  before  he  was  hung,  was  offered  a  reprieve  if  he 


CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR.  425 

"would  implicate  JefF.  Davis  in  the  cruelties  of  Anderson ville;" 
but  he  bravely  replied :  "  Mr.  Davis  had  nothing  to  do  with 
me,  or  with  what  was  done  at  Andersonville,  and  I  will  not, 
even  to  save  my  own  life,  give  false  testimony  against  an  inno- 
cent man." 

One  of  the  most  scathing  replies  which  Hill  made  to  Blaine, 
in  the  memorable  debate  to  which  we  have  before  referred 
was,  when  quoting  this  reply  of  Captain  Wirz  to  the  tempter, 
he  said  :  "And  what  poor  Wirz  would  not  do  to  save  his  life, 
the  honorable  gentleman  from  Maine  does  as  a  bid  foi  the 
Presidency." 

Utterly  ^failing  in  these  charges  they  had  to  face  th«^  question 
of  trying  him  for  "treason,"  and  a  partisan  i  id ge  packed  a 
mixed  jury  (the  first  jury  of  whites  and  blacks  ever  empanelled 
in  this  country)  who  found  an  indictment  of  ''treason"  against 
Jefferson  Davis  and  R.  E.  Lee. 

General  Grant  "quashed"  the  indictment  against  Lee  by 
holding  that  his  "  parole"  protected  him,  but  Judge  Under- 
wood had  a  mixed  petit  jury  empanelled  to  try  Mr.  Davis. 
[Our  pictures  of  these  juries  are  from  original  photographs,  and 
are  historic] 

The  authorities  at  Washington,  however,  and  Chief-Justice 
Chase  himself,  decided,  after  full  consideration,  and  the  con- 
sultation of  the  ablest  lawyers  in  the  country,  that  the  charge 
of  "treason"  could  not  be  maintained,  and  so  the  distinguished 
prisoner,  who  was  anxious  to  go  into  trial  and  vindicate  him- 
self and  his  cause  before  the  world,  was  admitted  to  bail,  and 
finally  a  nolle  prosequi  y^diS  entered  in  the  case. 

We  give  a  fac  simile  of  the  bail  bond  with  the  autographs 
of  the  bondsmen,  except  that  two  of  these  gentlemen  were  un- 
able to  sign  their  names  on  account  of  sickness. 

And  our  artist,  W.  L.  Sheppard  (himself  a  gallant  Confede- 
rate soldier),  was  an  eye-witness  of  the  scene,  and  has  given 
us  a  picture  to  the  life  of  "Mr.  Davis  leaving  the  court-room." 


426 


THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 


Throughout  the  Confederacy  there  was  general  rejoicing 
when  it  was  announced  that  "the  caged  eagle"  was  once  more 
free;  but  this  rejoicing  was  mingled  with  deep  regret  that  he 
had  not  been  allowed  his  coveted  opportunity  to  vindicate  the 
Confederate  cause  in  the  courts  of  the  country  and  in  the  hear- 
ing of  the  world. 


IN  THE  LIBRARY, 


im 


wmkm 


%.      •. 


LEAVING  THE  COURT-ROOM. 


XVII. 

HIS  LIFE  AFTER  THE  WAR. 

A  large  volume  might  easily  be  written  on  the  "Life  of 
President  Davis  after  the  war" — his  stay  in  Canada,  his  sev- 
eral visits  to  Europe,  his  life  in  Memphis,  and  especially  his 
life  at  Beauvoir — giving  the  letters  he  wrote,  and  the  speeches 
he  made  on  public  occasions.  We  venture  to  express  the  earn- 
est hope  that  Mrs.  Davis  in  her  proposed  Memoir  will  treat 
fully  this  part  of  his  life,  and  that  her  facile,  graceful  pen  will 
give  us  a  picture  of  his  domestic  life  such  as  she  alone  is  com- 
petent to  draw. 

But  we  are  able  to  barely  touch  on  this  most  interesting 
part  of  his  noble  life,  although  we  have  interesting  material 
which  would  fill  a  volume. 

We  pass  over  the  other  periods — not  even  dwelling  on  his 
great  sorrow  in  losing  his  only  son,  Jefferson  Davis,  Jr.,  who 
died  of  yellow  fever  when  the  plague  smote  that  city  with  its 
fearful  ravages — and  speak  briefly  of  his  life  at  his  home  beside 
the  Gulf. 

BEAUVOIR. 

"  Catherine  Cole  "  wrote  in  the  New  Orleans  Picayune  so  beau 
tiful  a  description  of  Beauvoir,  and  a  visit  she  paid  there,  that 
we  quote  a  part  of  her  letter,  as  follows: 

"Beauvoir  house  looks  to  be  just  what  it  is,  the  home  of  a 
quiet  country  gentleman,  who  would  not  exchange  its  roses 
and  peace,  its  books  and  sunshine  and  treasures,  for  the  gayest 
Queen  Anne  cottage  that  ever  poked  its  parrot-like  head  and 
gaudy  colors  up  above  its  neighbors  in  town  or  city,  or  seaside 
village.     The  house  is  set  down  in  the  centre  of  a  great  yard, 


HIS  LIFE  AFTER  THE  WAR.  429 

that  in  city  parlance  would  comprise  several  squares  of  ground. 
It  is  a  brown,  sandy  yard,  in  which  the  grass  persistently 
declines  to  grow,  but  where,  instead,  are  hundreds  of  magnolia, 
cedar,  and  oak  trees,  tlie  latter  hung,  as  a  cave  with  stalactites, 
with  the  draperies  of  S})anish  moss.  It  is  a  big  white 
house  with  green  shutters  that  sets  up  in  the  air  on  ])illars  of 
brick  that  has  deep,  cool  galleries,  reaching  across  the  front 
and  back,  a  great  wide  hall  through  the  centre,  and  double 
rooms  on  either  side.  There  is  a  wing  on  one  side,  and  behind 
this  the  kitchen,  trailing  off  covered  with  vines,  and  its  spraw- 
ling pent  roof  hidden  by  a  snow  of  roses.  On  either  side  the 
big  house  are  detached  cottages — little  green  and  white  and 
gray  islands  of  wood  entirely  surrounded  by  galleries.  In  one 
of  these,  secure  from  intrusion,  Mr.  Davis  wrote  his  history. 
All  about  under  the  trees,  but  respectfully  retiring  from  the 
j)ublic  view,  are  comfortable  country-lh.e  out-buildings,  barns 
and  tool-houses,  a  sheep-shed  and  a  corn-bin,  a  carpenter-shop 
for  the  peformance  of  rainy-day  farm  chores.  Behind  the 
house  is  a  sweet,  old-fashioned  flower-garden,  and  beyond  that 
a  smart  kitchen  garden,  with  its  black  soil  and  thrifty  rows  of 
bright  green  vegetables. 

"Beauvoir  house  is  one  of  those  fine  old  houses  set  out  with 
quaint  and  stately  olden-timed  furniture,  rich  in  pictures  and 
books  and  treasures  that  have  been  gathered  from  all  parts 
of  the  world;  a  home  that  has  grown  mellow  and  beautiful 
with  time,  and  whicli  neither  money  nor  desire  can  obtain. 
Old-fashioned  lounges  and  round  divans,  and  big  rocking- 
chairs,  and  odd  cabinets  fill  the  wide  hall.  A  grandfather's 
clock  stands  like  a  carved  oak  coffin  on  end,  and  the  brass  face 
looks  out  through  the  glass  case  upon  a  life  witii  which  it  has 
nothing  more  to  do.  There  are  pictures  on  the  tables  and 
walls,  and  books  and  papers  everywhere.  A  Turkish  curtain 
as  well  as  folding  doors  separate  the  front  ])arlor  from  the  back. 
The  last  is  lined  from  the  floor  almost  to  the  ceiling  with  book- 
shelves, and  the  over-profuse  books  overflow  into  every  room 
in  the  housa.  Rare  paintings  and  portraits,  including  several 
of  Rossetti's  and  a  spirited  pen-and-ink  sketch  of  his  wife  pour- 
ing 5-clock  tea,  cover  the  walls  and  door-frames.  Wild  flowers 
crammed  into  beautiful  vases,  photogra})hs  lying  loosely  on  the 
tables,  a  dainty  modern  chair  or  two  strung  with  ribbons,  an 
open  piano,  tell  their  own  pretty  story  of  the  gracious,  woman- 
ly presence  that  pervades  this  lovely  old-fashioned  home. 


480  f HE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME 

"The  home  of  Jefferson  Davis  is  not  less  dear  and  interest^ 
ing  to  the  people  to  whom  he  is  dear  than  it  is  full  of  sug- 
gestions and  a  fine  example  to  the  world  at  large.  As  I  sat  in 
that  cool,  sweet  drawing-room  with  my  gentle  hosts  and  their 
winsome  young  daughter,  w^ho  will  not  be  affronted,  I  trust, 
if  I  thus  declare  her  to  be  the  brightest,  gentlest,  sprightliest 
young  woman  I  ever  lost  ray  heart  to,  I  could  not  but  wish  for 
half  a  minute  that  the  mossy  old  roof  above  us  might  melt 
away  and  all  the  world  look  in  on  the  singularly  pure  life 
that  goes  on  at  Beauvoir.  Tall  and  thin  and  shrunken,  with 
a  high-bred,  kindly  face,  and  a  wintry  smile  in  his  kind  eyes — -- 
with  silver  white  hair  and  beard,  distinguished  and  remarka- 
ble in  appearance,  Mr.  Davis  sat  leaning  back  in  his  arm- 
chair, his  thin  white  hands  clasped  over  his  knee,  and  he  con- 
versing with  a  gentle  interest  with  his  guests.  With  what  a 
courtly  gesture  he  turned  to  me  as  he  spoke,  how  pretty  was 
the  way  he  stooped  to  kiss  Flo?  Shall  I  ever  forget  the  pic- 
ture he  made,  leaning  back  in  his  big  chair,  in  that  quaint 
and  beautiful  old  room?  He  looked  all  he  had  been  and  all 
he  is — the  soldier,  the  statesman,  the  scholar,  and  the  gentle- 
man of  the  old  school.  By  his  side  sat  his  wife — a  gracious, 
genial,  white-haired  woman,  large-statured,  large-minded, 
large-hearted,  and  no  less  distinguished  looking  than  her  hus- 
band— a  woman  born  to  a  commanding  position  and  one  cer- 
tain to  wield  a  great  and  good  influence.  Mrs.  Davis  is  a 
deeply-learned  woman;  all  the  culture,  polish,  and  brilliancy 
of  her  time  is  expressed  in  her  thoughts  and  speech.  To  her 
almost  more  than  to  any  other  woman  in  the  South  may  be 
applied  that  fine,  old-fashioned  compliment,  Ho  know  her  is  a 
liberal  education.'  There,  in  this  charming  old  house,  hidden 
under  the  pine  trees,  its  faded  face  looking  out  to  sea,  this  hus- 
band and  this  wife  are  spending  the  last  half  of  their  lives. 
What  books  they  could  wante  if  they  would.  What  rich  remin- 
iscences are  theirs  of  the  Old  World  and  the  New,  of  the  great 
and  distinguished  men  and  w^omen  of  both  hemispheres.  But 
they  do  not  write  books.  They  simply  live  a  happy  and 
peaceful  life  in  the  'Beauvoir  house,' entertaining  many  friends, 
reading  much,  doing  all  the  good  that  comes  their  way;  their 
home  a  place  where  hospitality  might  have  had  its  birth;  their 
lives  full  of  beautiful  cares  and  work. 

"  And  after  a  time  the  young  daughter  of  the  house  led  us 


HIS  LIFE  AFTER  THE  WAR.  431 

Out  into  the  sunny,  old-fasliionod  garden,  trailing  off  forest- 
ward  under  the  oaks..  It  was  like  tiie  gardens  we  read  about, 
with  its  odd  little  flower-beds  and  long,  wandering  walks,  all 
set  with  mignonette.  The  wind  that  stirred  the  flowers  was 
full  of  cinnamon  odors  and  sweet  with  the  breath  of  the 
unfashionable  damask  roses  that  grew  in  the  far  corners. 

"The  tall,  slim  young  lady  in  the  dove-gray  gown,  her  gentle, 
serious,  yet  happy  face  shaded  by  a  broad-brimmed  hat,  went 
down  the  dewy  walks  with  Flo,  and  they  talked  together  as 
Twenty -Two  does  not  often  condescend  to  talk  to  Ten,  and  as 
they  walked  she  snipped  a  bit  here  and  a  sprig  there,  fashioning 
a  poesy  for  her  small  guest.  How  charming  she  looked  bending 
over  the  bushes  of  blue-eyed  periwinkles  1  I  wonder  could  she 
have  been  ^ore  charming,  even  when  she  went  North  and  cap- 
tured it?  A  girl  who  can  entertain  a  room  full  of  learned  men, 
who  is  brilliant  and  thorough,  bending  her  pretty  brown  head 
down  to  the  level  of  the  yellow  one  of  the  little  child,  and 
entertaining  and  charming  her  small  visitor  with  the  same 
grace  and  tact,  was  a  pretty  spectacle,  a  fit  companion-piece  to 
the  quaint  pictures  of  the  book  and  picture-lined  drawing-room, 
with  its  silver-haired  host  and  hostess.  How  slim  and  graceful 
and  bonny  she  looked  as 

'  With  lightsome  heart  she  pulled  a  rose. 
Full  sweet  upon  its  thorny  tree.' 

"Somehow  the  flowers  were  like  the  gentle  girl-giver;  they 
were  the  flowers  that  one  loves  to  write  of,  to  think  on,  to 
remember,  and  to  treasure.  There  was  a  hit  of  lavender  with 
its  spiky  leaves,  rosemary  more  sweet  than  the  breath  of  the 
incense  that  remains  forever  about  the  altars  in  old  and  long- 
used  Catholic  churches,  a  bit  of  yellow-blossomed  rue,  and 
some  sweet-smelling,  magenta-colored  pinks.  They  were  the 
flowers  of  nature,  not  those  forced  in  conservatories.  In  her 
manners  and  simple,  unaffected  gentleness  and  kindness  this 
young  lady  is  as  old-fashioned  as  her  flowers.  It  is  easy  to 
understand  her  charm  when  it  is  also  remembered  that  her 
mind  has  been  most  carefully  trained,  that  all  the  advantages 
of  foreign  travel  and  education  have  been  hers. 

"I  know  how  wise  she  is,  how  many  are  her  accomplish- 
ments, and,  withal,  how  unaffected  and  honest  and  loyal  she 
is.     I  am  minded  to  say,  too,  that,  in  my  opinion,  if  she  and 


432  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

that  other  fair  and  brilliant  young  lady  whose  home  is  in  the 
White  House  had  been  allowed  to  meet,  as  both  probably 
wished  to,  they  would  have  flown  into  each  other's  arms,  and 
neither  would  have  remembered  that  one  was  born  north  and 
the  other  south  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line. 

"lam  proud  to  think  how  our  bonny,  brilliant  Southern 
girl  went  North  and  captured  it.  I  like  to  recall  how  prettily 
she  was  received,  with  a  hospitality  that  could  not  be  excelled 
even  at  Beauvoir.  I  can  think  of  her  doing  well,  and  acting 
wisely  and  honorably  and  nobly,  and  with  a  heart  loyal  to  her 
home,  her  people,  and  her  country  in  all  places  and  at  all 
times.  I  like  to  think  of  her  in  her  tulle  party  dresses,  or 
being  led  out  to  dinner  by  some  great  man  whom  it  is  an 
honor  to  know.  But,  somehow,  I  love  best  to  think  of  her 
standing  in  her  gray  gown,  knee-deep  among  her  roses,  gath- 
ering a  nosegay  of  lavender  and  rue  and  rosemary  in  the 
sunny,  sweet-scented  garden  that  trails  off  with  many  a  tangle 
of  vine  and  bramble  under  the  trees  at  the  back  of  Beauvoir 
house." 

The  following  letter  written  by  the  author  gives,  perhaps,  a 
more  vivid  account  of  a  visit  he  made  to  Beauvoir  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1886  than  he  could  recall  now,  and  it  is  inserted,  there- 
fore, just  as  it  was  written  at  the  time: 

A  VISIT  TO  BEAUVOIR PRESIDENT  DAVIS   AND  FAMILY  AT  HOME. 

BY  J.  WM.  JONES. 

"Richmond,  Va.,  August  1st,  1886. 

"A  trip  from  Richmond  to  Beauvoir,  by  the  Richmond  and 
Danville  route  to  Atlanta,  the  Atlanta,  West  Point  and  Mont- 
gomery to  Montgomery,  and  thence  by  the  Louisville  and 
Nashville  railway,  is  quick  and  comparatively  comfortable, 
even  at  this  season.  Leaving  here  at  2  A.  M.  on  Thursday  we 
reached  Beauvoir — a  flag-station  on  the  Louisville  and  Nash- 
ville, half-way  between  Mobile  and  New  Orleans — at  4:40  P. 
M.  Friday. 

'"^he  first  questions  asked  are,  'Where  is  Mr.  Davis's  house?' 
'Is  Mr.  Davis  at  home?'  The  grounds  are  pointed  out  as  run- 
ning down  to  the  station,  the  large  vineyard  of  scuppernong 


HIS  LIFE  AFTER  THE  WAR.  438 

grapes  forming  a  pleasing  contrast  to  tlie  sighing  pines  around, 
and  soon  the  large  yard,  shaded  by  live-oaks,  is  seen,  and  the 
dim  outlines  of  the  cottages  and  mansion,  as  we  hurry  along 
the  road  to  the  house  of  a  relative  on  the  beach,  several  hun- 
dred yards  below.  But  I  was  greatly  disappointed  to  learn  that 
Mr.  Davis  had  received  a  summons  to  his  plantation  up  on  the 
Mississippi  river,  and  had  left  several  days  before. 

"I  had,  however,  a  very  pleasant  time — gazing  on  the  beau- 
tiful Gulf,  breathing  its  salt  breezes,  dipping  in  its  brine,  catch- 
ing fish  every  morning  for  breakfast,  making  some  very  pleas- 
ant acquaintances,  etc. — and  made  a  most  enjoyable  visit  to 
Beauvoir,  wdiere  Mrs.  Davis  and  Miss  Winnie  entertained  me 
ui  most  agreeable  style. 

"At  this  and  subsequent  visits  I  had  ample  opportunity  of 
seeing  thefhouse  and  grounds.  The  house  is  a  large,  double- 
framed  building,  painted  white,  and  contrasting  very  pleas- 
antly with  the  foliage  in  which  it  is  embowered.  A  wide 
veranda  runs  around  it,  and  a  broad  hall  through  the  centre 
makes  a  very  pleasant  sitting-room  in  the  summer.  On  either 
side  of  the  main  building,  and  a  few  yards  from  it,  are  very 
neat  cottages,  also  white,  and  in  the  rear  are  ample  and  con- 
venient out-buildings.  The  house  is  very  w-ell  furnished, 
mostly  with  handsome  old  furniture,  the  walls  are  adorned 
with  some  fine  pictures — some  of  them  copies  of  the  master- 
pieces of  the  old  masters — and  the  rooms  are  tastefully  deco- 
rated with  bric-a-brac  and  pretty  ornaments,  many  of  wdiich 
are  the  products  of  the  deft  fingers  and  good  taste  of  Mrs. 
Davis  and  her  accomplished  daughter. 

"Books,  carefully  selected  from  standard  authors,  adorn  the 
tables  or  grace  the  shelves.  In  a  word,  the  stranger  who  knew 
nothing  of  the  occupants  would  have  only  to  glance  through 
the  rooms  to  see  at  once  that  this  is  an  abode  of  culture,  refine- 
ment, and  taste. 

".The  grounds  are  ample,  the  live-oaks  and  their  hanging 
moss  are  very  beautiful,  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  laves  the  beacli  in 
front  of  the  house,  and  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  sheets  of 
water  that  the  sun  shines  upon.  The  grounds  are  very  beau- 
tiful as  they  are,  but  are  capable  of  great  improvement,  and 
one  could  not  repress  the  wish  that  our  honored  Confederate 
chief  had  the  means  of  making  them  all  that  his  cultivated 
taste  would  suggest. 

28 


434  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

"  And  vet  it  is  a  source  of  gratification  to  old  Confederates 
that  our  great  leader  has  this  quiet  retreat,  where,  away  from 
the  rushing  crowd,  on  the  soil  of  his  loved  Mississippi,  breath- 
ing the  healthful  breezes  of  the  Gulf  that  washes  the  southern 
shores  of  the  Confederacy,  in  the  shades  of  his  own  home  and 
in  the  bosom  of  his  family,  he  can  spend  the  evening  of  his 
busy  life,  and  fill  out  the  record  of  his  great  duties  and  heroic 
deeds.  But  it  ought  to  be  added  that  his  needed  rest  and  quiet 
are  often  broken  by  visitors — loving  admirers  who  are  anxious 
to  pay  their  respects  and  do  honor  to  the  greatest  living  Amer- 
ican— but  too  often  mere  curiosity -hunters,  some  of  whom  par- 
take of  his  hospitality  and  then  go  off  to  write  all  manner  of 
slanders  about  him. 

"I  would  not  be  guilty  of  drawing  aside  the  veil  that  con- 
ceals from  the  world  the  privacy  of  the  home,  or  parading 
before  the  public  even  the  names  of  our  noble  women  ;  but  the 
deep  interest  which  our  people  take  in  all  that  concerns  this 
noble  family  must  be  my  excuse  for  saying  some  things  which 
otherwise  might  not  be  admissible. 

"Those  who  knew  Mrs.  Davis  in  other  days,  as  a  Senator's 
or  Secretary's  wife,  in  AVashington,  or  as  'Mistress  of  the  White 
House'  and  'first  lady'  of  the  Confederacy,  in  Richmond,  would 
find  no  difficulty  in  recognizing  her  now;  for,  though  time  has 
wrought  some  changes  in  her,  she  is  the  same  bright,  genial, 
cultivated,  domestic  woman,  w^ho  is  equally  well  qualified  to 
grace  the  parlor,  preside  at  a  State  dinner  with  historic  men  as 
her  guests,  attend  to  the  minutest  details  of  her  housekeeping, 
or  visit  her  neighbors,  or  look  after  the  needy  poor. 

"She  is  one  of  the  finest  conversationalists  I  ever  met,  and 
her  recollections  of  society  and  events  in  Washington,  in  Rich- 
mond, and  in  Europe,  and  of  the  prominent  men  and  vromen 
with  whom  she  came  in  contact,  are  simply  charming,  and 
would  make  a  book  of  rare  interest  were  she  disposed  to  turn 
her  attention  to  authorship.  Devoted  to  her  husband,  and 
taking  a  natural  pride  in  his  fame;  an  affectionate  mother, 
who  delights  in  her  children  and  grandchildren;  affable  and 
pleasant  with  her  neighbors;  a  noted  housekeeper  and  fine 
economist,  and  a  charming  entertainer  of  visitors,  she  strikes 
all  who  know  her  as  worthy  to  share  the  fortunes  and  comfort 
the  declining  years  of  our  chief,  as  she  was  worthy  to  share 
his  honors  and  reign  in  society  at  Washington  and  at  Rich- 
mond. 


BIS  LIFE  AFTER  THE  WAR.  435 

"She  speaks  in  the  most  cordial  terms  (as  does  Mr.  Davis) 
of  Richmond  and  Richmond  people,  and  inquires  very  affec- 
tionately after  some  of  her  special  friends. 

"Miss  Winnie  Davis,  the  single  daughter,  who  was  born  in 
Richmond  not  long  before  the  close  of  the  war,  is  one  of  the 
most  thoroughly  educated,  accomplished  3'oung  women  whom 
I  have  ever  met.  At  the  same  time  she  is  simple,  affable,  and 
sweet  in  her  manners,  a  brilliant  conversationalist,  a  general 
favorite,  and  every  way  worthy  of  her  proud  lineage  and  happy 
nheritance  as  'Daughter  ot  the  Confederacy.' 

"Mrs.  Hayes,  the  only  other  living  child,  was  on  a  visit  to 
Beauvoir,  but  was  sick,  and  I  had  not  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
her;  but  I  heard  her  spoken  of  in  the  warmest  terms  of  admira- 
tion by  soipe  oi  the  neighbors.  I  saw  her  four  sweet  children — 
and  what' pets  they  were  with  their  grandfather,  whose  love  of 
children  is  one  of  his  strong  characteristics. 

"Returning  from  a  several-days'  trip  to  Meridian,  I  was 
delighted  to  find  that  Mr.  Davis  had  returned  from  his  plan- 
tation, had  done  me  the  honor  of  calling  at  my  brother-in-law's 
to  see  me,  and  was  awaiting^my  arrival. 

"Those  who  knew  him  in  Richmond  during  the  war  might 
not  recognize  hira  at  once,  as  over  twenty  years  have  left  their 
impress  upon  him,  and  he  now  wears  a  full  beard  instead  of 
being  closely  shaven  as  then.  But  the  handsome  face,  the 
courtly  grace  of  his  bearing,  the  flash  of  his  eagle  eye,  his 
cordial  manners,  genial  humor,  and  almost  unrivalled  elo- 
quence of  conversation,  soon  bring  back  the  Confederate  Presi- 
dent— the  indomitable  leader,  the  unflinching  patriot,  the  high- 
toned,  Christian  gentleman,  whom  true  Confederates  will  ever 
delight  to  honor. 

"Seventy-eight  years  of  an  eventful  life  are  upon  him,  his 
health  is  not  strong,  and  his  physical  powers  begin  to  weaken  ; 
but  his  intellect  is  as  clear  as  ever,  and  his  heart  as  warm  as 
ever  for  the  land  he  has  loved  so  well,  and  for  which  he  has 
toiled,  and  suffered,  and  sacrificed  so  much. 

"I  shall  not  be  guilty  of  betraying  to  the  public  the  confi- 
dence of  private  conversation,  as  in  this  and  subsequent  inter- 
views, at  his  own  home,  he  spoke  freely  of  men  and  events  and 
measures  from  that  full  knowledge  and  intimate  acquaintance, 
and  in  that  perfectly  charming  manner  which  make  his  lightest 
utterances  of  unspeakable  value. 


486  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  VME. 

"  But  there  are  some  things  which  I  may,  without  impro- 
priet}^  write,  and  which  I  know  will  be  of  deep  interest  to  our 
people. 

"Mr.  Davis  loves  to  talk  of  his  home,  the  Gulf  coast  of  Mis- 
sissippi and  its  advantages,  his  pictures,  his  books,  questions 
in  English  literature,  science,  the  arts,  etc.,  in  all  of  which  he 
is  perfectly  at  home  and  talks  charmingly;  his  cadet  life  at 
West  Point  and  the  men  he  knew  there,  who  were  afterwards 
famous;  the  Mexican  war  and  his  services,  of  which  he  speaks 
v^ery  modestly,  but  the  brilliancy  of  which  all  the  world  knows; 
his  services  in  the  United  Slates  Senate,  and  as  Secretary  of 
War,  and  the  men  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  while  serving 
in  these  high  positions;  his  travels  abroad,  etc. 

"But  he  seems  to  delight  especially  to  talk  of  the  Confed- 
eracy; its  splendid  rise,  its  heroic  struggle,  its  sad  fall,  when 
'compelled  to  yield  to  overwhelming  numbers  and  resources.' 
He  seemed  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  minutest  details  of 
all  the  departments  of  the  government.  He  gave  some  very 
interesting  details  of  experiments  made  while  he  was  Secre- 
tary of  War,  on  the  question  of  ^whether  to  cast  guns  hollow 
or  to  bore  them  out  from  solid  castings,  and  spoke  of  the  laud- 
able pride  with  which  Rodman  sought  him  when  he  had  pre- 
pared some  cannon-powder,  and  exclaimed,  'Eureka!  Eureka!' 

"He  gave  a  very  interesting  account  of  some  experiments 
made  by  Professor  Bartlett,  of  West  Point,  undei*  his  direc- 
tion, on  the  proper  size  and  shape  of  bullets.  The  experiments 
failed,  but  last  year  at  Beauvoir  he  got  to  thinking  over  it,  and 
thought  that  he  discovered  the  cause  of  the  failure. 

"He  at  once  wrote  to  Professor  Bartlett,  giving  him  his 
theory,  but  received  from  him  a  very  kind  reply,  in  which  the 
Professor  said  that  he  was  now  too  old  and  infirm  to  make 
new  experiments,  and  that,  besides,  he  had  lost  their  original 
memoranda  and  calculations. 

"  He  spoke  with  commendable  pride  of  what  progress  the 
Confederacy  had  made  in  creating  material  of  war,  until  at 
the  end  of  the  struggle  the  best  powder  in  the  world  was  made 
at  the  Confederate  mill  under  charge  of  General  Pains.  Pie 
said  that  while  a  prisoner  at  Fortress  Monroe  he  was  told  that 
the  powder  which  produced  the  best  results  in  firing  at  iron 
plates  was  some  of  this  powder  captured  from  the  Confederates. 

"He  talked  freely,  and  in  the  most  interesting  manner,  of 


m 
^  1 


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f  t/ 


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U.N    iUJi  \\bi>AisjJ.v  A I    BEAUVOIE. 


438  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

the  causes,  progress,  and  results  of  the  war,  and,  while  fully 
accepting  its  logical  results,  he  seems  profoundly  anxious  that 
our  children  should  be  taught  the  truth,  and  that  our  people 
should  not  forget  or  ignore  tlie  great  fundamental  principles 
for  which  we  fought.  As  for  allowing  the  war  to  be  called 
'The  Rebellion'  and  our  Confederate  people 'Rebels,'  he  heart- 
ily repudiated  and  condemned  it.  *A  sovereign  cannot  rebel,' 
he  said,  'and  sovereign  states  cannot  be  in  rebellion.  You 
might  as  well  say  Germany  rebelled  against  France,  or  that 
France  (as  she  was  beaten  in  the  contest)  rebelled  against 
Germany.' 

"He  said  that  once  in  the  hurry  of  writing  he  had  spoken 
of  it  as  '  the  civil  war,'  but  had  never  used  that  misnomer 
again. 

"  He  spoke  of  many  of  our  generals  and  of  the  inside  his- 
tory of  some  of  our  great  battles  and  campaigns,  telling  some 
things  of  great  interest  and  historic  value,  wdiich  I  do  not  feel 
at  liberty  to  publish  now. 

"  After  speaking  in  the  most  exalted  terms  of  Lee  and  Jack- 
son, their  mutual  confidence  in  each  other,  and  their  prompt 
cooperation,  he  said:  'They  supplemented  each  other,  and, 
together,  with  any  fair  opportunity,  they  Y\^ere  absolutely 
invincible.'  He  defended  Jackson  against  the  statement  made 
by  some  of  his  warmest  admirers  (even  Dr.  Dabney  in  his 
biography)  that  he  was  not  fully  himself  in  failing  to  force 
the  passage  of  White  Oak  Swamp  to  go  to  the  help  of  A.  P. 
Hill  at  Frazier's  farm.  He  said  that  he  thought  that  a  care- 
ful study  of  the  topography  would  show  that  Franklin's  posi- 
tion was  the  real  obstacle  to  Jackson's  crossing. 

"  He  spoke  warmly  of  the  magnificent  fight  which  A.  P.  Hill, 
ifterwards  supported  by  Longstreet,  made  that  day — a  battle 
vh^ch  he  witnessed — and  told  some  interesting  incidents  con- 
jernlng  it. 

"Early  in  the  day  he  met  General  Lee  near  the  front,  and 
at  once  accosted  him  with,  'Why,  general,  what  are  you  doing 
hero?  You  are  in  too  dangerous  a  position  for  the  com- 
mander of  the  army.' 

"'I  am  trying,'  was  the  reply,  'to  find  out  something  about 
the  movements  and  plans  of  those  people.  But  you  must 
excuse  me,  Mr.  President,  for  asking  what  you  are  doing  here, 
and  for  suggesting  that  this  is  no  proper  place  for  the  com- 
mander-in-chief of  all  our  armies.' 


HIS  LIFE  AFTER  THE  WAR.  439 

"'Oh,  I  am  here  on  the  same  mission  that  you  are/  replied 
the  President,  and  they  were  beginning  to  consult  about  the 
situation  when  gallant  'little  A.  P.  Hill'  dashed  up  and 
exclaimed,  'This  is  no  place  for  either  of  you,  and,  as  com- 
mander of  this  part  of  the  field,  I  order  you  both  to  the  rear.' 

"'We  vill  obey  your  orders/  was  the  reply;  and  they  fell 
back  a  short  distance,  but  the  fire  grew  hotter,  and  presently 
A.  P.  Hill  galloped  up  to  them  again  and  exclaimed:  'Did 
I  not  tell  you  to  go  away  from  here  ?  and  did  you  not  promise 
to  obey  my  orders?  Why,  one  shell  from  that  battery  over 
yonder  may  presently  deprive  the  Confederacy  of  its  Presi- 
dent and  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  of  its  commander/ 
And  v/ith  other  earnest  words  he  finally  persuaded  the  Presi- 
de it  and  Gfeneral  Lee  to  move  back  to  a  more  secure  place. 

"  Mr.  Davis  spoke  in  the  warmest  terms  of  praise  of  A.  P. 
Kill.  ■  He  was,'  he  said,  'brave  and  skillful, and  alwaj's  ready 
toobey 'rders  and  do  his  full  duty.'  Reminding  him  that 
General  HiU  was  killed  at  Petersburg  'with  a  sick  furlough  in 
hif  pockftt/  having  arisen  from  a  sick-bed  and  hurried  to  the 
fr(>'-t  when  he  heard  that  the  enemy  was  moving,  he  said  : 
'  Yeb,  a  truer,  more  devoted,  self-sacrificing  soldier  never  lived 
or  died   n  the  cause  of  right.' 

"Speaking  in  general  of  the  Seven  Days'  battles  around 
Richm  jnd,  he  said  that  we  accomplished  grand  results,  and 
the  failure  to  annihilate  McClellan's  army  was  due  chiefly  to 
the  fact  that  when  General  Lee  took  command  there  were  at 
headquarters  no  maps  ot  the  country  below  Richmond,  and  it 
was  then  too  late  to  procure  them,  and  that  our  army  moved 
all  the  time  in  ignorance  ot  the  country  and  "with  guides  who, 
for  the  most  part,  proved  themselves  utterly  inefficient. 

"  He  said  that  General  Lee's  object  in  the  retreat  from  Peters- 
burg was  to  reach  Danville,  and  then  to  unite  with  Johnston 
and  crush  Sherman  before  Grant  could  come  up. 

"  After  General  Johnston's  surrender,  his  object  was  to  reach 
the  Trans-Mississippi  department  and  see  if  he  could  rally  the 
forces  there.  And  this  he  believes  he  could  have  accom- 
plished, as  he  knew  every  swamp  along  his  proposed  route, 
but  he  was  turned  aside  by  information  that  a  band  of  rob- 
bers were  about  to  attack  his  family,  who  were  traveling  on  a 
different  line. 

"  He  gave  deeply  interesting  details  of  the  foreign  relations 


440  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

of  the  Confederacy,  and  of  how  near  we  were  several  times  to 
recognition  by  England  and  France.  He  spoke  in  the  highest 
terms  of  praise  of  Captain  Bullock's  '  Secret  Service  of  the 
Confederacy  in  Europe ' — a  book  which  he  thinks  should  be 
in  every  library — and  said  that  the  Confederacy  had  nothing 
to  fear  from  the  publication  of  all  of  its  official  correspondence. 

"  He  spoke  in  strong  terms  of  the  double  dealings  of  Louis 
Napoleon,  who,  after  inviting  Mr.  Slidell,  the- Confederate  com- 
missioner, to  have  Confederate  vessels  built  in  France,  and  as- 
suring him  that  there  would  be  no  obstacle  to  their  going  out 
afterwards,  went  square  back  on  his  word  (because  of  certain 
representations  of  Mr.  Dayton,  the  United  States  Minister),  and 
refused  to  allow  them  to  go  out.  When  he  was  in  France 
after  the  war,  the  Emperor  sent  him  word,  that  '  If  he  desired 
an  interview  with  him  he  would  be  glad  to  grant  it.'  *But,' 
said  the  grand  old  chief  of  the  Confederacy,  '  I  wanted  no  in- 
terview with  the  man  who  had  played  us  false,  and  so  I 
promptly  replied  that  I  did  not  desire  it.' 

*'  He  spoke  of  General  Lee's  high  opinion  of  the  ability  of 
General  Earlj^  as  a  soldier,  and  of  his  own  emphatic  endorsa- 
tion  of  that  opinion,  and  said  many  other  things  of  deep  inter- 
est which  I  may  not  write  now 

"  He  and  his  family  were  evidently  deeply  touched  by  the 
grand  ovation  accorded  him  at  Montgomery,  Atlanta,  Savan- 
nah, etc.,  last  spring,  and  I  assured  him  that  if  he  would  accept 
the  invitation  which  I  bore  him  from  Governor  Lee  to  be  present 
at  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  Lee  monument  next 
October  we  would  give  him  in  the  last  capital  of  the  Confeder- 
acy a  welcome  equally  as  warm— an  ovation  fully  as  imposing. 
He  could  not  promise  so  long  ahead  what  he  could  do,  in  view 
of  his  declining  years  and  uncertain  health,  but  said,  'There 
is  no  place  I  would  rather  visit  than  Richmond;  no  occasion 
I  had  rather  be  present  upon  than  one  that  is  to  honor  R.  E. 
Lee.     If  possible  I  shall  do  myself  the  pleasure  of  going.' 

"I  came  away  from  Beau  voir  with  the  highest  gratification 
that  I  had  had  the  privilege  of  seeing  at  his  home,  eating  with 
at  his  table,  and  mingling  in  free  social  intercourse  with  the 
great  statesman,  the  peerless  orator,  the  gallant  soldier,  the 
stainless  Christian  gentleman,  the  devoted  patriot,  whom,  with 
one  voice,  the  Confederate  States  called  to  be  their  chief,  who 
never  betrayed  their  trust,  but  who  was  true  in  war,  and  has 


BIS  LIFE  AFTER  THE  WAR.  441 

been  true  in  peace — 'who  did  not  desert  during  the  war  and 
has  not  deserted  since.' 

"What  true  Confederate — what  true  citizen  of  any  section  of 
the  country — can  fall  to  join  in  the  earnest  prayer  that 
Heaven's  ciioicest  blessings  may  rest  upon  that  beautiful  home 
at  Beauvoir — that  his  last  days  may  be  his  best  days,  and  that 
he  may  finally  rest  in  peace,  wear  'the  fadeless  crown  of  vic- 
tory,' and  rejoice  in  the  plaudit  of  the  Great  Captain — 'Well 
done  good  and  faithful  servant' — when  he  shall  join  Lee  and 
Jackson  and  others  of  our  Christian  soldiers  in  that  bright 
land  where  'war's  rude  alarms'  are  never  heard?" 

It  may  be  added  concerning  Mrs.  Davis  that  never  was 
there  a  more  devoted,  helpful  wife  or  mother.  No  public  man 
ever  had  a  wife  who,  by  education,  accomplishments,  conver- 
sational powers,  and  domestic  tastes  and  habits,  was  better 
fitted  to  fill  the  conspicuous  places  to  which  she  was  called. 
And  no  husband  ever  had  a  more  devoted,  self-sacrificing 
wife. 

When  he  was  in  prison  she  left  no  elTort  untried  until  she 
at  last  got  permission  to  visit  him,  and  share  his  hard  lot* 
which  she  greatly  brightened.  And  for  all  of  the  later  years 
of  his  life  she  was  his  constant  companion,  his  nurse  in  sick- 
ness, his  amanuensis,  his  comforter,  his  help-mate  in  every 
sense  of  the  term. 

And  now,  as  the  "  Widow  of  the  Confederacy,"  she  has  the 
warmest  place  in  the  hearts  of  old  Confederates  and  of  our  peo- 
ple generally. 

May  heaven's  choicest  blessings  rest  upon  her  and  her  chil- 
dren has  been,  and  will  be,  the  prayer  that  wells  up  from  many 
a  Southern  heart. 

Mrs.  Hayes  is  every  way  worthy  of  her  noble  lineage,  and 
the  future  of  her  four  sweet  children  (the  boy,  five  years  old^ 
has  taken  the  name  Jefferson  Hayes  Davis)  will  be  watched 
with  deep  interest  and  fervent  prayers  that  they  may  prove 
worthy  of  the  heritage  of  honor  and  fanie  to  which  they  havo 
succeeded. 


412  TSE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

Miss  "  Varina  Anne"  has  lost  her  real  name,  and  is  univer- 
sally called  by  the  pet  name — "  Winnie" — which  her  father 
gave  her.  For  years  she  was  his  almost  constant  companion. 
Siie  read  to  him,  wrote  for  him,  studied  books  on  military  tac- 
tics that  she  might  interest  him  in  discussing  campaigns 
and  battles,  and  in  many  ways  brought  much  of  sunshine 
into  his  life. 

She  is  one  of  the  most  universally  popular  ladies  we  have 
ever  known,  and  in  visits  to  New  Orleans,  Memphis,  Louis- 
ville, Mobile,  Montgomery,  Savannah,  Atlanta,  Richmond, 
Macon,  New  York,  and  other  cities  she  never  failed  to  capture 
the  cities. 

The  Richmond  Dispatch  gave  a  report  of  the  presentation  of 
a  badge  of  "  Lee  Camp  Confederate  Veterans"  to  Miss  Winnie 
on  the  21st  of  September,  1886,  at  the  Soldiers'  Home,  from 
which  the  following  extract  is  given,  in  order  to  show  the  feel- 
ing towards  President  Davis  and  his  accomplished  daughter 
by  the  old  soldiers  of  the  Confederacy,  a  large  number  of  whom 
were  present : 

"As  the  carriage  containing  Miss  Davis,  escorted  by  General 
C.  J.  Anderson  and  Messrs.  John  and  Clay  Chamblain,  drove 
on  the  grounds  the  veterans  saluted  her  with  a  salvo  of 
artillery. 

"General  and  Mrs.  Terry,  Captain  Pollard,  Commander 
Murphy,  Captain  John  Maxwell,  Major  T,  A.  Brander,  and 
other  members  of  Lee  Camp  did  the  honors  of  the  Home,  and 
showed  the  grounds  and  buildings  to  the  visitors. 

"At  the  appointed  hour  Governor  Lee,  accompanied  by  Mrs. 
Lee,  drove  up,  and  soon  after  the  interesting  ceremonies  begun. 
Captain  Maxwell  introduced  Governor  Lee.  who  was  received 
with  loud  applause,  and  proceeded  to  perform  the  duty  assigned 
him  of  presenting  to  Miss  Davis  the  certificate  ai^d  badge. 

"Governor  Lee  felicitated  the  veterans  of  Lee  Camp  that 
they  had  among  thorn  the  daughter  ot  the  great  Confederate 
President,  who  had  guided  with  such  ability,  such  unswerving 
patriotism,  the  fortunes  of  tlie  Confederacy,  and  had  borne 
himself  so  bravely  in  the  hour  of  adversity. 


HIS  LIFE  AFTER  THE  WAB.  443 

"The  time  has  come,  he  said,  when  we  could  calmly  look 
back  on  that  great  struggle,  and,  without  disloyalty  to  the 
present  order  of  things  or  our  allegiance  to  the  present  govern- 
ment, do  justice  to  the  motives  and  deeds  of  the  men  who 
made  it.  It  was  on  our  part  a  square,  honest  fight  for  what 
we  believed  to  be  our  '  inalienable  rights.' 

"There  was,  said  Governor  Lee,  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to 
the  interpretation  of  that  constitution.  We  of  the  South,  led 
by  our  ablest  statesmen  and  some  of  the  ablest  statesmen  of 
the  North,  believed  that  under  the  constitution  we  had  a  right 
to  peaceably  secede  from  the  Union,  and  tried  to  do  so.  The 
people  of  the  North,  guided  by  the  massive  intellect  of  Web- 
ster and  the  opinions  of  Story  and  others  of  their  leaders, 
believed  tl/at  the  Union  was  'perpetual,' and  the  result  was 
the  fearful  war  which  drenched  the  land  in  blood. 

"The  men  of  the  South  have,  he  said,  no  sort  of  occasion  to 
be  ashamed  of  the  part  they  bore  in  that  conflict,  and  cer- 
tainly the  veterans  of  this  Home  and  of  Lee  Camp  (most  of 
whom  served  in  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia)  have  a  heri- 
tage of  glory  of  which  they  may  well  be  proud,  since  they 
have  written  their  names  high  up  on  the  pillar  of  fame,  and 
won  a  series  of  splendid  victories  which  illustrated  brightest 
pages  of  history,  until  at  Appomattox — 'not  conquered,  but 
wearied  out  with  victory' — they  stacked  their  bright  muskets, 
parked  their  blackened  guns,  and  furled  forever  their  tattered 
battle-flags. 

"Governor  Lee  congratulated  the  veterans  that  they  had 
carried  into  the  arts  of  peace  and  to  the  promotion  of  the  inter- 
ests of  the  restored  Union  the  same  patient  endurance  and 
heroic  courage  which  they  had  displayed  on  the  battle-field. 
He  then  turned  to  Miss  Davis,  and  in  a  few  earnest  and  grace- 
ful words  presented  the  certificate  and  badge,  saying  that  if  she 
was  'The  Daughter  of  the  Confederacy'  these  sons  of  the  Confed- 
eracy could  call  her  their  sister,  and  would  count  it  a  high 
privilege  to  do  so. 

"  ]Miss  Davis  received  the  certificate  and  badge  with  a  very 
graceful  bow,  amid  the  loud  applause  of  the  crowd,  who  had 
repeatedly  applauded  Governor  Lee,  and  then  Dr.  J.  William 
Jones,  who  had  been  chosen  by  Miss  Davis  to  represent  her, 
made  the  following  response ; 


444  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

"I  count  it  a  great  privilege  and  a  high  lionorto  be  permit- 
ted to  respond  for  our  fair  guest  upon  this  occasion,  and  to  con- 
vey to  you,  Governor,  and  through  you  to  Lee  Camp,  her 
hearty  thanks  for  the  honor  of  being  enrolled  among  their  hon- 
orary members,  her  warm  appreciation  of  this  beautiful  badge 
and  certificate,  which  she  will  preserve  among  her  cherished 
treasures  as  a  souvenir  of  a  'red-letter  day'  in  her  life — a  bright 
spot  in  her  memory. 

"Born  in  the  stormy  days  of  war,  rocked  in  the  cradle  of  the 
Confederacy,  and  reared  in  an  atmosphere  where  it  is  held  to 
be  no  crime  to  have  been  true  to  the  principles  of  constitutional 
freedom,  she  is  loyal  to  the  hallowed  memories  of  the  Confed- 
eracy, clings  fondly  to  its  traditions,  cherishes  its  histor}^,  and 
loves  and  honors  its  brave  defenders.  How,  then,  can  she  be 
otherwise  than  deeply  touched  when  these  gallant  veterans 
(who  used  to  obey  without  question  the  orders  of  her  distin- 
guished father — the  President  of  the  Confederate  States  and 
commander-in-chief  of  their  armies — as  they  marched  forth  so 
gaily  to  illustrate  the  brightest  pages  of  American  history) 
come  to  honor  'The  Daughter  of  the  Confederacy'  by  enrolling 
her  name  among  them,  and  choosing  so  worthy  a  knight  as 
the  distinguished  Governor  of  the  Commonwealth — 'our  gal- 
lant Fitz' — to  voice  their  wishes  in  making  this  presentation? 
Words  fail  me  in  attempting  to  express  properly  her  feelings, 
and  I  can  only  say  to  you.  Governor,  and  to  the  members  of 
Lee  Camp :  Accept  her  warmest  thanks. 

"And  now'  I  beg  the  privilege  of  adding  just  this  word:  It 
seems  to  me  a  happy  augury  that  this  'Home'  of  our  veterans 
opens  its  doors  this  bright  and  beautifutl  afternoon  to  the  daugh- 
ter of  our  grand  old  Chief,  and  I  am  sure  that  all  will  join  me 
in  breathing  the  fervent  prayer  that  Heaven's  choicest  bless- 
ings may  abide  here,  and  also  upon  that  home  beside  the  Gulf 
— that  the  love  of  a  grateful  people  may  ever  be  theirs,  and 
that  peace,  prosperity,  and  true  happiness  may  be  forever  the 
portion  of  our  noble  Chief  and  of  the  immortal  heroes  who  fol- 
lowed him  to  deeds  of  fadeless  glory  for  the  land  and  cause 
they  loved  so  well  and  served  so  faithfully." 

"  Major  T.  A.  Brander,  in  words  few  and  fit,  then  presented 
Miss  Davis,  on  behalf  of  the  veterans  of  the  Home,  with  a  beau- 
tiful bouquet  which  he  said  w^as  composed  of  flowers  raised  on 
the  grounds  by  the  tender  care  of  the  veterans. 


Bis  LIFE  AFTER  THE  WAR.  445 

"Governor  Lee  then  led  jNliss  Davis  to  the  front,  and  the 
veterans  crowded  forward  and  shook  hands  witli  her. 

"  She  was  dressed  with  exquisite  taste,  wore  the  badge  of  the 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia  and  several  otlier  military  badges 
with  which  she  had  been  invested,  and  impressed  all  who  saw 
her  with  the  dignity  and  queenly  grace  of  her  bearing  and 
by  the  cordial  greeting  she  gave  to  each  of  the  veterans. 

"It  was  whispered  all  around,  'She  is  worthy  of  her  proud 
lineage  and  high  position,'  and  the  veterans  especially  seemed 
delighted  with  her  reception  of  them. 

"  The  badge  is  the  regular  badge  of  Lee  Camp,  beautifully 
gotten  up  and  suitably  engraved. 

"  The  whole  occasion  was  one  of  deep  interest,  and  w-as 
heartily  enjoyed  by  the  large  crowd  present." 

During  the  years  after  the  war  Mr.  Davis  did  not  very  often 
appear  in  public — both  his  health  and  his  disinclination  to 
take  part  in  public  meetings  forbidding — but  upon  some  notable 
occasions  he  was  the  central  figure.  He  presided  over  the 
great  Lee  Memorial  meeting  in  Richmond  in  November,  1870, 
and  spoke  at  the  convention  that  assembled  at  the  Mont- 
gomery White  Sulphur  Springs,  Virginia,  in  August,  1874,  to 
reorganize  the  Southern  Historical  Society;  at  the  unveiling 
of  the  Stonewall  Jackson  monument,  in  New  Orleans;  at  the 
great  Southern  Historical  Society  meeting,  in  New  Orleans; 
at  the  unveiling  of  the  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  monument 
there;  at  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  Confederate 
monument  in  Montgomery;  at  Atlanta,  Savannah,  ]\Iacon,  and 
other  places. 

We  deeply  regret  to  find  that  our  limited  space  will  prevent 
us  from  giving  these  speeches  as  w^e  had  intended. 

But  we  must  make  a  place  for  the  following  speech  which 
he  delivered  under  very  peculiar  circumstances.  At  a  ban- 
quet given  by  the  Louisiana  division  of  the  Army  of  North- 
ern Virginia  Association,  December  6th,  1878,  when  none  but 
Confederate  soldiers  were  present,  and  it  w^as  announced  that 
reporters  had  been  excluded,  that  there  would  be  no  report  in 


446  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  TIME. 

the  papers  of  the  speeches  made,  and  that  each  speaker  was 
expected  to  say  ivhat  he  pleased,  Mr.  Davis  made  the  following 
speech  which  has  never  been  in  print,  but  which  was  taken 
down  in  short-hand  at  the  time,  and  for  a  copy  of  which  we 
are  indebted  to  Captain  John  H.  Murray,  the  then  secretary  of 
the  association. 

Northern  readers,  after  all  they  have  been  taught  of  the  bit- 
terness of  Mr.  Davis  to  the  North,  will  be  surprised  at  the  fra- 
ternal tone  of  this  speech  made  under  the  circumstance. 

SPEECH    AT    ARMY    NORTHERN    VIRGINIA    BANQUET. 

"  My  Friends  and  Soldiers  of  the  Confederacy : 

"  I  am  glad  to  meet  so  many  of  you  assembled  here,  to  know 
that  you  are  still  marching  shoulder  to  shoulder,  and  that  you 
still  keep  step  to  those  bonds  of  fraternity  which  you  learned 
upon  the  field  of  battle  and  in  the  camp,  where  suffering, 
danger,  and  death  were  confronted  hourly  by  you. 

"And  while  the  battle  ebbed  and  flowed ;  while  victory  at 
one  time  rose  and  defeat  followed  it  with  crushing  force,  still 
there  was  one  thing  which  never  faltered — the  courage,  the 
honor,  the  fidelity  of  the  Confederate  soldier. 

"Political  unions  are  the  result  sometimes  of  traditions,  some- 
times of  a  community  of  interests,  sometimes  of  the  force  of 
outward  pressure  creating  the  necessity  to  band  together  to 
resist  the  force  which  is  on  the  outside. 

"  But  there  is  a  fraternity  which  is  closer  than  these — it  is 
that  fraternity  which  is  formed  around  the  camp-fire,  which  is 
formed  between  the  wounded  soldier  and  his  attending  com- 
rades, which  is  formed  between  the  men  who  are  rushing  to 
see  who  shall  be  first  in  the  breach  and  who  shall  be  last  to 
leave. 

"  This  is  the  rivalry  that  bound  men  together  when  they 
were  struggling  few  against  many,  when,  as  it  has  been  de- 
scribed to  you  by  General  Early,  they  stood  up  and  faced  the 
foe  one  to  five,  and  still  manfully  held  the. line  against  that 
overwhelming  force.  Louisiana  was  there.  Her  noble  Drew 
with  his  little  battalion  was  among  the  first  who  confronted 
that  powerful  force  on  the  Peninsula.  Louisiana  was  there — 
ah  I  Louisiana  was  everywhere  where  blood  was  to  be  shed  in 


HIS  LIFE  AFTER  THE   WAR.  447 

the  maintenance  of  truth  and  liberty  and  the  rights  slie  had 
inherited.  She  sent  her  sons  to  Virginia  not  to  battle  for  Vii- 
ginia — not  to  battle  for  the  Confederacy  merely,  but  to  battle 
tor  something  which  was  higher  and  brighter  than  these  and 
all  else,  to  battle  for  truth  and  political  rights,  the  liberty  of 
her  sons  and  the  inheritance  their  fathers  had  bequeathed  to 
them. 

"It  is  always  to  me  a  great  pleasure  to  meet  a  Confederate 
soldier,  and  before  he  tells  me  what  he  is,  I  think  I  can  recog- 
nize him  by  the  thrill  of  his  grasp.  Trained  to  truth  and 
duty,  tried  in  temptation,  and  tempered  by  distress,  they  came 
forth  the  pure  gold  from  the  forge.  And  while  we  now 'ac- 
cept the  situation'  in  the  language  of  the  day — yet  as  Bill  Arp 
said,  though  thoroughly  reconstructed,  '  I  will  bet  my  last  dol- 
lar on  Dixie/ 

"We  are  now  at  peace,  and  I  trust  will  ever  remain  so.  We 
have  recently  been  taught  that  those  whom  we  had  considered 
enemies,  measuring  them  by  standard  bearers  whose  hearts 
were  filled  with  malignity,  that  they  in  our  hour  of  trouble 
had  hearts  beating  in  sympathy  with  our  grief.  We  have 
been  taught  by  their  generosity  that  bounded  with  quick  re- 
sponse to  the  afflictions  of  the  South,  that  the  vast  body  of  peo- 
ple at  the  North  are  our  brethren  still. 

"  And  the  heart  would  be  dead  to  every  generous  impulse 
that  would  try  to  stimulate  in  you  now  a  feeling  of  hostility 
to  those  where  so  large  a  majority  have  manifested  nothing 
but  brotherly  love  for  you. 

"Inreferring,  therefore,  to  the  days  of  the  past  and  the  glori- 
ous cause  you  have  served — a  cause  that  was  dignified  by  the 
honor  in  which  you  maintained  it — I  seek  but  to  revive  a 
memory  which  should  be  dear  to  you  and  pass  on  to  your 
children  as  a  memory  which  teaches  the  highest  lessons  of 
manhood,  of  truth,  and  of  adherance  to  duty — duty  to  your 
State,  duty  to  your  principles,  duty  to  the  truth,  duty  to  your 
buried  parents,  and  duty  to  your  coming  children. 

*  I  thank  you,  friends." 

i.mong  the  large  number  of  letters  which  he  wrote  at  this 
period,  we  select  as  examples  only  two — one  to  the  ladies  of 
the  Confederate   Monument  Association,  and  the  other  com- 


44S  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

plaining  of  mistakes  made  in  a  biographical  sketch — regret- 
ting that  we  have  not  space  for  others,  as  he  was  a  very 
accomplished  letter  writer. 

"Bpjauvoir,  Miss.,  May  21,  1888. 
"  Ladies  of  the  Confederate  Monument  Association  of  Mississippi: 

"  I  duly  received  your  gratifying  invitation  to  my  family  and 
myself  to  be  present  at  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the 
monument  to  commemorate  the  dead  of  ]Mississippi  who  died 
for  the  State. 

"This  acknowlelgtnent  has  been  delayed  under  the  hope 
that  my  health  would  so  improve  as  to  enable  me  to  partici- 
pate in  the  ceremony. 

'The  earnest  desire  to  be  with  you  on  the  occasion  led  me 
to  hope  against  the  better  judgment  of  others  that  I  might  be 
physically  able  to  join  in  the  work  which  is  very  near  to  my 
heart.  The  monument  will  be  the  first  reared  by  Mississipi;! 
to  her  sons,  who  at  the  call  of  their  mother  forgot  all  selfish 
cares  and  went  forth,  if  need  be,  to  die  for  her  cause.  This 
omission  cannot  be  ascribed  to  the  absence  of  meritorious 
claims  to  sucli  consideration,  for  ]Mississippians  have  neither 
been  of  the  war  party  in  peace  nor  of  the  peace  party  in  w^ar. 
In  tlie  territorial  infancy  of  our  State,  when  the  population  was 
mainly  confined  to  a  few  river  counties,  the  Indian  war  with  its 
characteristic  ferocity,  was  ravaging  the  frontier  settlements. 
At  the  cry  of  the  helpless,  Mississippians  ruslied  to  arms, 
though  few  and  illy  prepared  for  war.  Among  the  earliest  of 
my  memories  was  the  grief  of  our  people  because  of  the  mas- 
sacre at  Fort  Mimms,  where  many  of  our  neighbors  died  in  the 
fulfillment  of  that  noblest  motive  of  human  action  which 
causes  one  to  give  his  life  that  others  may  live.  No  monument 
for  the  instruction  of  the  rising  generation  commemorates 
the  event,  and  the  commonly  used  school-books  are  devoted 
:.o  Northern  history. 

"At  Pensacola  or  Fort  Bower,  and  in  the  battle  of  New  Or- 
leans, Mississippi  bore  an  honorable  part.  Your  monument 
will  stand  in  the  county  of  Hinds,  the  name  of  the  leader  of 
the  Mississippi  dragoons,  whose  conduct  in  the  battle  of  New 
Orleans  was  commended  in  general  orders  for  the  admiration 
of  one  army  and  the  wonder  of  the  other. 


HIS  LIFE  AFTER  THE  WAB.  449 

*'At  a  later  day  when  Mississippi  was  sent  a  requisition  for 
troops  to  serve  in  the  war  between  the  United  States  and 
Mexico,  the  difficulLy  was  not  to  get  the  requisite  number  of 
companies,  but  to  discriminate  among  those  offering  in  excess 
of  the  numbers  which  would  be  received.  An  attempt  was 
made  to  build  a  monument  to  those  who  fought  and  died  in  a 
foreign  land,  but  it  failed.  If  asked  why  ?  The  reason  is  on 
the  surface.     It  was  not  woman's  work. 

"Daughters  of  Mississippi,  you  have  labored  in  a  cause  the 
righteousness  of  which  only  he  can  deny  whose  soul  is  so 
devoid  of  patriotism  that  in  his  country's  strife  he  could  give 
aid  and  comfort  to  the  enemy.  It  would  have  been  a  great 
gratificatioa  to  me  to  stand  among  the  survivors  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi army  and  in  laying  the  corner-stone  of  the  monument 
to  their  deceased  comrades  to  recall  their  virtues,  the  mingled 
attributes  of  the  hero  and  saint.  Please  be  assured  that  in 
spirit  I  shall  be  with  you.  For  the  zeal  with  which  you  have 
faced  all  discouragement,  and  the  devotion  you  have  shown  to 
the  purpose,  which  had  only  its  merits  for  its  reward,  I  pray 
you  to  accept  from  the  inmost  fibre  of  his  heart  the  thanks  of 
an  old  Mississippian.     Faithfully,  Jefferson  Davis." 

"T.  K.  Oglesby,  Esq.: 

*'  My  Dear  Sir — The  set  of  Appleton's  Cyclopedia  of  American 
Biography  which  you  ordered  sent  to  my  address  has  been 
received.  I  am  not  the  less  thankful  to  you  for  your  kind 
attention  because  I  cannot  give  to  the  work  more  than  a  par- 
tial approval.  I  very  naturally  turned  to  the  article  which  I 
contributed  upon  Zachary  Taylor,  and  which  I  was  compelled 
to  compress  to  bring  it  within  the  prescribed  limit;  but  I  found 
the  article  had  been  expanded  by  the  addition  of  matter  in 
regard  to  his  family,  which  was  so  inaccurate  that  I  was  sorry 
to  have  it  annexed  to  what  I  had  written,  my  consolation  being 
that  no  member  of  the  Taylor  family  would  believe  me  to  be 
the  author  of  the  addition. 

"My  next  examination  was  of  the  article  'Davis  (Jefferson).' 
Here  I  found  the  baseless  scandal  of  a  romantic  elopement 
revived  and  reprinted,  and  all  along  through  that  article  flowed 
the  misrepresentations  current  in  Northern  prints,  and  attri- 
buting to  me  things  I  never  said,  of  which  I  am  quite  sure, 
29 


450  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLTTME. 

because  they  were  things  I  never  thought.  There  is  no  fitness 
in  my  writing  to  you  a  full  criticism  of  a  work  which  seems 
to  me  guided  and  inspired  by  narrow  sectionalism,  but  you 
will  allow  me  to  add,  for  your  kind  attention,  I  am  and  shall 
remain  very  gratefully  yours,  Jefferson  Davis." 

We  close  this  chai)ter  with  the  following  brief,  but  char- 
acteristic, and  significant 

ADDRESS  BEFORE  THE  MISSISSIPPI  LEGISLATURE,  MARCH  10,  1884. 

'^^ Friends  and  Brethren  of  Mississippi: 

"In  briefest  terms  but  with  deepest  feelings,  permit  me  to 
return  my  thanks  for  the  unexpected  honor  you  have  con- 
ferred upon  me.  Away  from  the  political  sea,  I  have  in  my 
secluded  home  observed  with  intense  interest  all  passing  events 
affecting  the  interest  or  honor  of  Mississippi,  and  have  rejoiced 
to  see  in  the  diversification  of  labor  and  the  development  of 
new  sources  of  prosperity  and  the  increased  facilities  of  jjublio 
education,  reason  to  hope  for  a  future  to  our  State  more  pros- 
perous than  any  preceding  era.  The  safety  and  honor  of  a 
republic  nmst  rest  upon  the  morahty,  intelligence  and  patriot- 
ism of  the  community. 

"We  are  now  in  a  transition  state,  which  is  always  a  bad 
one,  both  in  society  and  in  nature.  Y/hat  is  to  be  the  result 
of  the  changes  which  may  be  anticipated  it  is  not  possible  to 
forecast,  but  our  people  have  shown  such  fortitude  and  have 
risen  so  grandly  from  the  deep  depression  inflicted  upon  them 
that  it  is  fair  to  entertain  bright  hopes  for  the  future.  Sec- 
tional hate,  concentrating  itself  upon  my  devoted  head,  deprives 
me  of  the  privileges  accorded  toothers  in  the  sweeping  expres- 
sion of  '  without  distinction  of  race,  color  or  previous  condition,' 
but  it  cannot  deprive  me  of  that  which  is  nearest  and  dearest 
to  my  heart,  the  right  to  be  a  Mississippian,  and  it  is  with 
gratification  that  I  receive"  this  e'nphatic  recognition  of  that 
right  by  the  representatives  of  her  people.  Reared  on  the 
soil  of  Mississippi,  the  ambition  of  my  boyhood  was  to  do 
something  which  would  redound  to  the  honor  and  welfare  of 
the  State.  The  weight  of  many  years  admonishes  me  that  my 
day  for  actual  services  has  passed,  yet  the  desire  remains  undi- 
minished to  see  the  people  of  Mississippi  prosperous  and  happy, 
and  her  fame  not  unlike  the  past,  but  gradually  growing 
v/ider  and  brighter  as  the  years  roil  away. 


HIS  LIFE  AFTER  THE  WAR.  451 

"  It  has  been  said  that  I  should  apply  to  the  United  States  for 
a  pardon  ;  but  repentance  must  precede  the  right  of  pardon, 
and  I  liave  not  repented.  Remembering  as  I  must  all  which 
has  been  suffered,  all  which  has  been  lost,  disappointed  hopes 
and  crushed  aspirations,  yet  I  deliberately  say:  If  it  were  to  do 
over  again,  I  would  do  just  as  I  did  in  1861.  No  one  is  the 
arbiter  of  his  own  fate.  The  people  of  the  Confederate  States 
did  more  in  proportion  to  their  numbers  and  means  than  was 
ever  achieved  by  any  in  the  world's  history.  Fate  decreed 
tliat  they  should  be  unsuccessful  in  the  effort  to  maintain  their 
claim  to  resume  the  grants  made  to  the  federal  government. 
Our  people  have  accepted  the  decree;  it  therefore  behooves  them, 
as  tliey  may,  to  promote  the  general  welfare  of  the  Union,  to 
show  to  tl^e  world  that  hereafter  as  heretofore  the  patriotism 
of  our  people  is  not  measured  by  lines  of  latitude  and  longi- 
tude, but  is  as  broad  as  the  obligations  they  have  assumed 
and  embraces  the  whole  of  our  ocean-bound  domain.  Let 
them  leave  to  their  children  and  their  children's  children  the 
good  example  of  never  swerving  from  the  path  of  duty,  and 
preferring  to  return  good  for  evil  rather  than  to  cherish  the 
unmanly  feeling  of  revenge.  But  never  teach  your  children 
to  desecrate  the  memory  of  the  dead  by  admitting  that  their 
brothers  were  wrong  in  their  effort  to  maintain  the  sovereingty, 
freedom  and  independence  which  was  their  inalienable  birth- 
right. Remembering  that  the  coming  generations  are  the 
children  of  the  heroic  mothers  whose  devotion  to  our  cause  in 
its  darkest  hour  sustained  the  strong  and  strengthened  the 
weak,  I  cannot  believe  that  the  cause  for  which  our  sacrifices 
were  made  can  ever  be  lost,  but  rather  hope  that  those  who 
now  deny  the  justice  of  our  asserted  claims  will  learn  from 
experience  that  the  fathers  builded  wisely  and  the  constitution 
should  be  construed  according  to  the  commentaries  of  the 
men  who  made  it.  It  having  been  previously  understood  that 
I  would  not  attempt  to  do  more  than  return  my  thanks,  which 
are  far  deeper  than  it  would  be  possible  for  me  to  express,  I 
will  now,  Senators  and  Representatives,  and  to  you,  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  who  have  honored  me  by  your  attendance,  bid  you 
an  affectionate,  and,  it  may  be,  a  last  farewell." 


XVIIL- 


ANALYSIS  OF  HIS  CHARACTER. 

And  now,  in  concluding  this  "outline,"  it  only  remains  foi 
us  to  give  a  brief  analysis  of  his  character,  and  we  cannot  bet- 
ter do  so  than  by  reproducing  the  following  from  our  pen 
which  appeared  in  the  Richmond  Dispatch  the  day  after  Mr. 
Davis  died. 

"JEFFERSON    DAVIS,   THE   CHEISTIAN   SOLDIER,  STATESMAN,   AND 
PATRIOT — BY  REV.  J.  WILLIAM  JONES,  D.  D. 

"Atlanta,  Ga.,  December  6. 

'•  The  death  of  an  old  man  who  has  more  than  lived  out  his 
four-score  years  would  ordinarily  excite  but  a  passing  interest. 
But  the  death  of  this  great  man  who  for  so  many  years  was  a 
prominent  figure  in  American  history,  who  was  a  born  leader 
of  men,  who  has  been  a  central  figure  in  the  most  stirring 
events  ever  enacted  on  this  continent,  and  who  has  borne  him- 
self as  grandly  in  peace  as  in  war,  in  the  shades  of  retirement 
as  in  the  bustling  activities  of  public  life — the  death  of  such  a 
man  will  attract  universal  attention,  elicit  general  comment, 
and  recall  incidents  of  interest  not  only  in  this  country,  but  in 
the  civilized  world  as  well. 

"Other  pens  will  give  detailed  sketches  of  his  eventful  life,  be 
it  mine  only  to  recall  here  some  personal  reminiscences  of  the 
man  as  I  knew  him,  and  honored  him,  and  loved  him,  and  to 
give  a  brief  outline  of  his  character  which  was  well  worthy  of 
the  careful  study  and  imitation  of  our  young  men. 

"I  first  saw  President  Davis  on  the  field  of  First  Manassas. 
Having  the  honor  of  being  at  that  time  'high  private  in  the 
rear  rank'  of  the  famous  old  Thirteenth  Virginia  regiment, 
which  (in  the  brigade  commanded  first  by  Kirby  Smith,  and 
after  he  was  wounded  by  Colonel  Arnold  Elzey)  came  on  the 


AA'ALl'^JS  OF  HIS  CIIAnACTUE.  45S 

field  at  the  supreme  crisis  of  the  battle,  we  saw  a  great  stir  and 
heard  vociferous  cheering  near  the  Lewis  house,  and  were  soon 
permitted  to  join  in  the  general  enthusiasm  with  which  we 
greeted  '  our  President.' 

"As  I  recall  him  as  he  appeared  that  day,  sitting  his 
horse  with  the  easy  grace  of  tlie  trained  horseman,  I  endorse 
the  description  of  him  given  by  a  writer  who  saw  him  in  a 
memorable  scene  in  the  United  States  Senate  not  long  before: 

"In  face  and  form  Davis  represents  the  Norman  type 
with  singular  fidelity  if  my  conception  of  that  type  be  correct. 
He  is  tall  and  sinewy,  with  fair  hair,  gray  eyes,  which  are 
clear  rather  than  bright,  high  forehead,  straight  nose,  thin, 
compressed  lips,  and  pointed  chin.  His  cheek-bones  are  hol- 
low, and  ^he  vicinity  of  his  mouth  is  deeply  furrowed  with 
interesting  lines.  Leanness  of  face,  length  and  sharpness  of 
feature,  and  length  of  limb,  and  intensity  of  expression,  ren- 
dered acute  by  angular  facial  outline,  are  the  general  charac- 
teristics of  his  appearance, 

"Itwas  upon  that  memorable  day  at  Manassas  that  T.  J. 
Jackson,  who  had  just  won  his  soubriquet  of  'Stonewall,'  is 
reported  to  have  pushed  aside  the  surgeons  who  were  dressing 
his  wounds  and  to  have  exclaimed,  tossing  his  old  gray  cap  in 
the  air:  'There  comes  the  President.  Hurrah  for  the  Presi- 
dent! Give  me  ten  thousand  men  and  I  will  be  in  Washington 
to-night.' 

"And  there  can  be  but  little  doubt  that  if  the  President  had 
known  'Stonewall'  ['Thunderbolt,'  'Tornado,'  or  'Cyclone' 
would  have  been  a  much  more  appropriate  soubriquet  for  him] 
as  well  then  as  he  knew  him  afterwards,  that  he  would  have 
given  him  the  men,  for  it  is  now  a  part  of  the  history  of  that 
great  victory  that,  so  far  from  stopping  the  pursuit  of  the  routed 
enemy  (as  was  falsely  reported  at  the  time).  President  Davis 
was  exceedingly  anxious  to  push  them  across  the  Potomac, 
and  at  one  time  issued  a  peremptory  order  to  that  effect,  which 
was  only  countermanded  at  the  earnest  request  of  Generals 
Johnston  and  Beauregard. 

"The  next  time  I  saw  President  Davis  was  during  the 
'seven  days'  battles  around  Richmond,'  during  which  that 
pleasing  mcident  occurred  of  his  gently  rebuking  General  Lee 
for  being  so  far  to  the  front  as  to  endanger  his  valuable  life, 
and  was  in  turn  mildly  chided  by  the  General  for  '  risking  the 


454  TE[E  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

life  of  the  President  of  the  Confederacy,'  when  'gallant  little 
A.  P.  Hill'  (as  Mr.  Davis  called  him)  dashed  up  and  exclaimed: 
'This  is  no  place  for  either  of  you,  and  as  commander  of  this 
part  of  the  line  I  order  you  both  to  the  rear!' 

"'We  will  obey  orders,'  was  the  laughing  reply,  as  they  fell 
back  a  short  distance  and  began  an  earnest  conference  about 
'the  situation.' 

"But  the  fire  becoming  very  hot  A.  P.  Hill  galloped  up  to 
them  again  and  exclaimed:  'Did  I  not  tell  you  to  go  away 
from  here,  and  did  you  not  promise  to  obey  my  orders?  Why, 
one  shell  from  that  battery  over  yonder  may  presently  deprive 
the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  of  its  commander  and  the 
Confederacy  of  its  President.'  And  with  matiy  other  earnest 
words  he  finally  persuaded  the  President  and  General  Lee  to 
move  back  to  a  more  secure  place. 

"I  was  exceedingly  fortunate  during  those  seven  days  of 
battle  in  seeing  a  number  of  our  leaders,  and  I  have  indelibly 
photographed  on  my  memory  their  appearance,  dress,  equip- 
ment, and  bearing. 

"Lee,  the  superb,  mounted  on  Traveler,  calm,  dignified,  alert, 
and  every  inch  the  soldier;  old  Stonewall,  of  rather  ungainly, 
awkward  figure,  clad  in  dingy  gray  and  mounted  on 'Little 
Sorrel/  sucking  a  lemon,  and  seeming  very  impatient  that  the 
battle  should  begin;  'Jeb'  Stuart  in  his  'fighting  jacket,' 
rattling  sabre,  and  jingling  spurs,  superbly  mounted,  and  his 
very  appearance  denoting  what  he  abundantly  proved  that  he 
was  indeed,  'the  flower  of  cavaliers;'  stern  old  Ewell,  who 
cared  little  for  dress  or  equipment,  but  had  proven  himself 
'  Jackson's  right  arm '  in  his  brilliant  Valley  campaign ;  A.  P. 
Hill,  dressed  in  a  fatigue  jacket  of  gray  flannel,  his  felt  hat 
slouched  over  his  noble  brow,  sitting  his  beautiful  charger  with 
easy  grace,  and  glancing  with  eagle  eye  along  his  famous 
'  Light  Division'  as  it  hurried  into  battle,  was  the  heavb  ideal  of 
a  soldier;  and  scores  of  others  of  subordinate  rank  who  were 
just  beginning  to  'win  their  spurs,'  and  formed  a  galaxy  of 
chivalrous  knights  such  as  were  rarely,  if  ever,  congregated 
on  the  same  battle-field. 

"But  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  the  accomplished  horse- 
manship, the  martial  bearing,  the  general  appearance  of  'our 
President,'  as  he  was  greeted  with  the  enthusiastic  cheers  of 
the  soldiers,  impressed  me  as  deeply  as  any  of  the  grand  mea 


ANAL  YSIS  OF  HIS  CIIAEA  CTER.  456 

I  saw  on  those  fields  of  carnage,  and  made  me  feci  then,  what 
a  subsequent  study  of  his  career  lias  made  me  knoiv,  that  Jef- 
ferson Davis  was  a  born  soldier,  and  that  his  brilliant  career 
in  the  Mexican  war  was  but  a  prophecy  of  what  he  would 
have  been  had  he  been  able  to  carry  out  his  own  cherished 
desire  to  serve  the  Confederacy  in  the  field  instead  of  in  the 
presidential  chair. 

"After  this  I  saw  ]\Ir.  Davis  several  times  in  Richmond, but 
had  never  heard  him  speak  until  at  the  famous  mass-meeting  at 
the  Old  African  church  in  Richmond  after  the  Confederate 
commissioners  had  returned  from  the  *  Hampton  Roads  Confer- 
ence' and  made  as  their  report  that  the  government  at  Wash- 
ington would  grant  no  terms  but  'unconditional  submission.' 

"1  had  heard  a  great  deal  of  and  had  formed  a  very  high 
estimate  of  Mr.  Davis  as  an  orator.  I  had  read  some  of  his 
speeches  in  the  United  States  Senate,  and  especially  his  chaste 
and  eloquent  'Farewell  to  the  Senate.'  I  had  read  his  inau- 
gural address  and  a  number  of  his  other  addresses  to-  soldiers 
and  citizens. 

"But  I  must  confess  that  I  was  not  prepared  for  his  speech- 
upon  that  occasion,  which  rang  out  like  a  clarion-call  to  bat- 
tle, and  so  touched  and  thrilled  and  swayed  the  vast  multitude 
composed  largely  of  soldiers,  that  we  not  only  cheered  him  to 
the  echo  until  we  were  hoarse,  but  were  ready  to  follow  to  the 
death  whenever  he  should  lead.  I  have  ever  since  that  day 
regarded  that  speech  as  the  grandest  oratorical  triumph  I  ever 
heard,  and  have  placed  Mr.  Davis  among  the  great  orators  of 
history. 

"Tlie  next  time  I  heard  him  speak  was  at  the  great  soldiers' 
Lee  memorial  meeting,  held  at  the  First  Presbyterian  church 
iu  Richmond  in  November,  1870. 

"About  three  years  before  the  'caged  eagle'  had  been  re- 
leased from  prison,  and  he  came  to  Richmond  to  preside  over 
the  meeting  called  by  the  old  soldiers  of  Lee  to  do  honor  to 
their  old  commander  who  had  died  several  weeks  before. 

"It  was  a  grand  occasion,  and  there  assembled  the  most 
brilliant  galaxy  of  Confederate  soldiers  that  has  gathered  since 
the  war.  Generals  Early,  John  B.  Gordon,  John  S.  Preston, 
and  Henry  A.  Wise,  and  Colonels  Charles  S.  Venable,  Charles 
Marshall,  William  Preston  Johnston,  and  R.  E.  Withers  were 
among  the  speakers,  and  all  of  them  made  touchingly  beauti- 


458  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

ful  tributes  to  Lee.  But  Mr.  Davis,  it  is  no  disparagement  to 
others  to  say,  made  unquestionably  the  speech  of  the  occasion, 
and  was  received  with  a  genuine  enthusiasm,  an  irrepressible 
outburst  of  applause  and  cheers,  and  a  tender  respect  which 
showed  that  he  still  held  the  warmest  place  in  the  hearts  of 
his  old  soldiers. 

"  The  only  other  occasion  upon  which  I  ever  heard  him 
speak  was  at  New  Orleans  at  the  unveiling  of  the  statue  of 
Stonewall  Jackson,  erected  by  the  Louisiana  Division  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia.  General  Fitz  Lee  was  the  orator  of  the 
day,  and  acquitted  himself  (as  'our  gallant  Fitz'  always  does) 
very  handsomely.  Mr.  Davis  was  on  the  platform,  a  deeply 
interested  listener,  and  had  declined  on  account  of  his  health 
the  invitation  of  the  committee  to  speak.  But  the  crowd  called 
for  him  so  vociferously  and  persistently  that  he  at  last  arose, 
was  received  with  deafening  cheers,  and  for  about  twenty 
minutes  thrilled  the  vast  crowd  with  a  eulogy  on  Jackson 
which  deserves  a  place  among  the  gems  of  true  oratory.  I 
suppose  that  the  calm  verdict  of  history  will  be  that  Jefferson 
Davis  stands  in  the  very  fore-front  of  American  orators. 

"  As  a  writer  of  terse,  chaste,  vigorous,  classic,  Anglo-Saxon 
English,  he  has  had  few  equals  and  no  superior  among  all  of 
our  public  men. 

"His  reports  when  Secretary  of  War — his  messages,  procla- 
mations, and  other  State  papers  when  President  of  the  Confede- 
racy— his  'Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Confederate  States' — his  occa- 
sional articles  for  magazines,  reviews,  or  newspapers,  and  his 
letters  should  be  carefully  studied  as  models  of  'English  unde- 
filed*  as  well  as  for  the  great  truths  taught  and  the  great  prin- 
ciples vindicated.  He  was  especially  charming  as  a  letter 
writer,  and  I  trust  that  a  volume  of  his  letters  will  be  given  to 
the  public.  If  the  personal  allusion  may  be  pardoned,  I  will 
say  that  I  have  in  my  possession  fifty  or  sixty  of  his  letters 
addressed  to  me  and  marked  'personal'  or  'confidential,'  which 
I  prize  beyond  all  price,  and  which  I  regard  as  among  the 
finest  specimens  of  letter- writing  of  which  I  have  any  acquain- 
tance in  all  the  range  of  ancient  or  modern  literature. 

"One  of  the  greatest  calamities  of  the  kind  with  which  I 
am  acquainted  is  that  there  was  stolen  from  Mr.  Davis's  papers 
when  stored  in  New  York  a  package  containing  his  strictly 
confidential  correspondence  with  General  Lee  during  the  war 


ANAL  YSIS  OF  HIS  CHABA  CTBR,  457 

— letters  which  he  did  not  show  even  to  his  staff  or  his  cabi- 
net, and  which  contained  the  secret  thouglits  and  plans  of 
these  two  great  men  and  congenial  spirits. 

"Mr.  Davis  spoke  to  me  several  times  of  this  loss,  and  always 
with  deep  feeling  and  sorrowful  regret. 

"A  distinguished  Northern  gentleman  with  whom  I  wascon« 
versing  very  freely  at  Ocean  Grove,  N.  J.,  two  3'ears  ago  about 
the  Confederacy,  its  measures,  men,  and  history,  suddenly  said, 
'Jeff.  Davis  is  in  his  dotage  now,  is  he  not?' 

"My  prompt  reply  was,  'If  you  think  so,  suppose  j'ou  read 
his  recent  reply  to  General  Sherman.' 

"That  re{)ly  to  Sherman's  unprovoked  and  inexcusable  slan- 
ders and  his  reply  to  the  criticisms  of  Lord  Wolseley,  in  a  re- 
cent^numUer  of  the  North  American  lieview,  v^'iW  rank  among 
the  finest  specimens  of  such  writing  in  the  language. 

"But  above  all,  and  crowning  all  of  his  other  qualities,  Mr. 
Davis  bore  himself  amid  all  of  his  stern  duties,  crusiiiug 
responsibilities,  bitter  trials,  and  strong  temptations,  as  a 
patriot  of  the  purest  type,  and  as  a  stainless  Christian  gen- 
tleman. 

"When  his  State  called  he  closed  his  brilliant  career  as 
United  States  Senator  and  gladl}^  laid  his  fortune,  his  talents, 
and  his  life  on  the  altar  of  Southern  independence.  Men  may 
differ  as  to  the  wisdom  or  ex])ediencv  of  his  course,  but  none 
who  knew  him  could  ever  doubt  that  he  was  actuated  by 
motives  of  the  highest  patriotism;  tiiat  he  sought  not  self- 
interest  or  self-promotion,  but  the  good  of  the  land  he  loved 
so  well.  He  burned  to  enter  the  Confederate  army  and  to 
serve  the  cause  in  the  field,  for  he  believed  from  the  first  that 
war  was  inevitable,  but  when  with  one  voice  his  countrymen 
called  him  to  be  President  of  the  Southern  Confederacy  he 
sacrificed  his  own  wishes  to  serve  his  loved  Southland. 

"It  is  natural,  perhaps — alas!  for  j)Oor  human  nature  that 
it  should  be  so — that  men  should  look  for  a  'scapegoat'  when 
failure  comes,  and  that  the  leader  of  a  'lost  cause'  (as  men 
look  upon  it)  should  not  escape  the  adverse  criticism  of  his 
followers.  Mr.  Davis  has  been  by  no  means  an  exce{)tion  to 
this  rule,  and  the  croaking  of  certain  Confederates  has  min- 
gled with  the  bitter  denunciations  and  unreasonable  hatreds 
of  his  enemies.  He  has  been  charged  with  'sins  of  omission 
and  of  commission,' — of  doing  all  sorts  of  things  which  he 


458  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

'ought  not  to  have  done/  and  of  'leaving  undone'  all  sorts  of 
things  wliicli  he  'ought  to  have  performed.'  But  no  man  has 
ever  dared  to  face  him  with  any  charge  of  malfeasance  in  office, 
of  prostituting  the  public  service  to  private  ends,  of  being 
guilty  ot  one  single  act  in  which  he  did  not  have  in  view  the 
good  of  the  great  cause  he  had  espoused  as  God  gave  him  to 
see  it,  or  of  any  conduct  unworthy  of  the  stainless  gentleman, 
the  pure  patriot,  seeking  his  country's  good. 

"He  said  to  his -intimate  friend,  Hon.  B.  H,  Hill,  of  Georgia, 
upon  the  occasion  of  a  confidential  interview  between  them: 
*  God  knows  my  heart.  1  ask  all,  all  for  the  cause ;  nothing, 
nothing  for  myself 

"Mr.  Hill  well  adds:  'Truer  words  never  fell  from  nobler  lips 
nor  warmer  from  the  heart  of  a  more  devoted  patriot.  These 
words  express  in  language  the  soul,  the  mind,  the  purpose — 
aye!  the  ambition  of  Jefferson  Davis.' 

"While  in  irons  at  Fortress  Monroe  he  was  charged  with 
complicity  with  the  assassination  of  Mr.  Lincoln  and  with 
cruelty  to  Federal  prisoners,  and  his  enemies  hoped  at  one 
time  to  destroy  him  on  these  trumped-up  charges,  but  they 
could  not  procure  evidence  on  which  the  infamous  Holt  dared 
to  go  into  his  trial  even  before  a  military  court,  and  with  his 
band  of  trained  perjurers  at  his  call. 

"As  for  the  charge  of  'treason,'  Chief- Justice  Chase  and  the 
ablest  lawyers  at  the  North  whom  he  consulted  were  too  wise 
to  bring  him  to  the  trial  which  he  so  greatly  coveted.  He  said 
to  me  one  day  at  Beauvoir  with  flushed  cheek  and  flashing 
eye.  'Oh!  if  they  had  only  dared  to  give  me  the  trial  for 
which  I  begged  and  for  which  I  longed!  Then  would  I  have 
shown  beyond  all  cavil  at  the  bar  of  justice  anci  at  the  bar  of 
history  that  we  were  no  rebels  and  no  traitors,  but  had  only 
exercised  the  rights  guaranteed  to  sovereign  States  by  the  con- 
stitution of  our  fathers,  and  that  in  making  war  upon  us  for 
an  attempt  to  exercise  peaceably  this  right  the  North  was  the 
real  'rebel'  against  law — the  real  'traitor'  to  the  constitution.' 

"In  the  eloquent  address  before  the  Georgia  Branch  of  the 
Southern  Historical  Society,  delivered  by  Hon.  B.  H.  Hill,  he 
closed  an  able  vindication  of  Mr.  Davis  as  follows : 

"'I  could  detain  you  all  night  correcting  false  impressions 
which  have  been  industriously  made  against  this  great  and 
good  man.    I  knew  Jefferson  Davis  as  I  know  few  men.    I 


400  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME, 

have  "been  near  him  in  his  public  duties;  I  have  seen  him  by 
his  private  fireside;  I  have  witnessed  his  humble  Christian 
devotions,  and  I  challenge  the  judgment  of  history  when  I  say 
no  people  were  ever  led  through  the  fiery  struggle  for  liberty 
by  a  nobler,  truer  patriot,  while  the  carnage  of  war  and  the 
trials  of  public  life  never  revealed  a  purer  and  more  beautiful 
Christian  character.  Those  who  during  the  struggle  prostitu- 
ted public  office  for  private  gain  or  used  positions  to  promote 
favorites,  or  forgot  public  duty  to  avenge  private  griefs,  or  were 
derelict  or  faithless  in  any  form  to  our  cause,  are  they  who  con- 
demn or  abuse  Mr.  Davis.  And  well  they  may,  for  of  all  such 
he  was  the  contrast,  the  rebuke,  and  the  enemy.  Those  who 
were  willing  to  sacrifice  self  for  the  cause,  who  were  willing  to 
bear  trials  for  its  success,  who  were  willing  to  reap  sorrow  and 
poverty  that  victory  might  be  won,  will  ever  cherish  the  name 
of  Jefferson  Davis,  for  to  all  such  he  was  a  glorious  peer  and 
a  most  worthy  leader. 

"*  I  would  be  ashamed  of  my  own  un worthiness  if  I  did  not 
venerate  Lee.  I  would  scorn  my  own  nature  if  I  did  not  love 
Davis.  I  would  question  my  own  integrity  and  patriotism  if 
I  did  not  honor  and  admire  both.  There  are  some  who  affect 
to  praise  Lee  and  condemn  Davis.  But  of  all  such  Lee  him- 
self would  be  ashamed. 

'"No  two  leaders  ever  leaned  each  on  the  other  in  such  beau- 
tiful trust  and  absolute  confidence.  Hand  in  hand,  and  heart 
to  heart,  they  moved  in  the  front  of  the  dire  struggle  of  their 
peoi)le  for  independence — a  noble  pair  of  brothers.  And  if 
fidelity  to  right,  endurance  to  trials,  and  sacrifice  of  self  for 
others,  can  win  title  to  a  place  with  the  good  in  the  great  here- 
after, then  Davis  and  Lee  will  meet  where  wars  are  not  waged 
and  slanders  are  not  heard;  and  as  heart  in  heart,  and  as 
wing  to  wing  they  fly  through  the  courts  of  Heaven,  admiring 
angles  will  say,  what  a  noble  pair  of  brothers!' 

"The  noble  'Tribune of  the  People,' the  brave  defender  of 
the  Confederacy  and  her  leaders  'ceased  from  his  labors'  some 
years  ago,  but  his  ringing  words  will  find  an  echo  in  many  a 
loyal  Confederate  heart  to-day.  Within  the  past  ten  years  it 
has  been  my  privilege  to  be  a  frequent  visitor  to  Beauvoir,  the 
beautiful  home  by  the  Gulf  where  the  evening  of  the  days  of 
this  great  man  had  been  spent,  and  to  have  seen  him  in  the 
quiet  of  his  home  and  in  the  bosom  of  his  family.     No  man 


ANAL  YSIS  OF  HIS  CHAR  A  CTER.  461 

was  ever  a  more  afTcctionatc  husbanJ  or  more  devoted  father. 
His  playful  conversation  with  his  noble  wife  and  accomplished 
daugliters,  his  devotion  to  his  grandchildren,  his  graceful  recep- 
tion and  entertainment  of  visitors,  his  perfectly  charming  con- 
versation on  any  topic  that  might  be  introduced,  his  tender 
solicitude  for  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  others,  and  the  inval- 
uable 'material  for  the  future  historian'  which  his  lightest 
conversations  contained  are  all  indelibly  written  in  my  mem- 
ory and  heart,  but  may  not  be  detailed  in  this  paper,  already 
too  long. 

"This  much,  however,  I  must  say:  In  all  of  my  repeated 
interviews  with  Mr.  Davis,  and  the  freedom  of  conversation 
about  men  and  things  with  which  he  honored  me,  and  in  all 
of  the  confidential  letters  about  historical  matters  which  at  dif- 
ferent times'lie  wrote  me  there  was  a  marked  and  most  remark- 
able absence  of  bitterness,  or  of  denunciation  of  those  even 
who  had  most  grievously  wronged  and  injured  him.  I  cite 
only  two  examples  of  this  out  of  many  which  I  could  give: 
He  once  had  a  controversy  with  a  distinguished  Confederate 
in  reference  to  the  Peace  Conference,  and  was  quite  severely 
censured  for  not  being  willing  in  the  early  da3's  of  1865  to 
make  peace  on  the  condition  of  a  restoration  of  the  Union — the 
distinguished  Confederate  saying  that  he  would  have  gladly 
done  so  at  that  time.  Mr.  Davis  replied  in  very  courteous  but 
very  vigorous  style. 

"  It  so  happened  that  just  at  this  time  in  looking  over  some  old 
Confederate  papers  I  found  in  one  of  them  a  card  from  this 
distinguished  Confederate,  written  just  after  the  'Hampton- 
Roads  Conference,' in  which  he  said  that  'certain  evil-disposed 
persons  had  circulated  a  rumor  that  he  was  in  favor  of  peace 
on  the  basis  of  reunion  with  the  North,'  and  proceeded  to 
denounce  the  statement  as 'utterly  false  and  slanderous,' and  to 
aver  that  he  was  '  unwilling  to  accept  anything  short  of  inde- 
pendence,' and  was  in  favor  of  'fighting  it  out  to  the  bitter 
end  until  this  was  attained.'  I  copied  and  sent  this  card  to 
Mr.  Davis,  and  he  wrote  me  a  letter  of  warm  thanks,  in  which 
he  said:  'This  card  is  worth  its  weight  in  gold  in  this  contro- 
versy, but  of  greater  worth  tlian  gold  is  the  kind  friendship 
which  prompted  the  sending  of  it  to  me.' 

"  But  he  never  followed  up  his  advantage  and  never  used 
the  card,  and  he  told  me  afterwards,  when  I  asked  him  about 


462  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

it,  that  he  'became  sorry  for  Mr. ,  in  the  awkward  posi- 
tion in  which  he  had  placed  himself,  and  concluded  not  to 
press  his  advantage.' 

"  The  other  incident  was  this :  Another  prominent  Confed- 
erate had  abused  Mr.  Davis  roundly  in  my  presence — making 
numerous  statements  which  I  knew  to  be  incorrect — and  I 
wrote  to  Mr.  Davis  for  a  refutation  of  them.  He  very  promptly 
replied  with  a  complete  and  triumphant  vindication  of  him- 
self, but  marked  the  letter  'strictly  confidential/  saying  that 
he 'did  not  wish  even  in  his  own  vindication  to  injure  one 
who  had  been  a  true  Confederate.' 

''  I  might  multiply  these  illustrations  almost  indefinitely, 
but  I  must  hasten  to  conclude  this  article  with  just  one  other 
point. 

"  I  speak -of  my  own  personal  knowledge  and  intimate  inter- 
course with  him  when  I  say  that  Mr.  Davis  was  one  of  the 
humblest,  most  intelligent,  most  decided  evangelical  Chris- 
tians whom  I  have  ever  known.  He  was  in  his  official  posi- 
tion always-  outspoken  and  decided  on  the  side  of  evangelical 
religion,  and  his  fast-day  and  thanksgiving-day  proclamations 
were  not  only  models  of  chaste  style  and  classic  English,  but 
breathed  a  spirit  of  humble,  devout  piety,  which  was  not  per- 
functory, but  welled  up  from  a  sincere  and  honest  heart. 

"He  said  to  Rev.  Dr.  A.  E.  Dickinson, concerning  the  grand 
work  of  colportage  in  the  army,  which  he  was  superintending 
and  pushing  with  rare  ability,  zeal,  and  success  :  'I  most  cor- 
dially sympathize  with  this  movement.  We  have  but  little  to 
hope  for  if  we  do  not  realize  our  dependence  upon  Heaven's 
blessing,  and  seek  the  guidance  of  God's  truth.' 

"  I  have  space  for  only  the  following,  which  may  be  given  as 
a  specimen  of  his  proclamations : 

" '  To  the  People  of  the  Confederate  States  : 

" '  The  termination  of  the  Provisional  Government  offers  a  fit- 
ting occasion  again  to  present  ourselves  in  liumiliation,  prayer, 
and  thanksgiving  before  that  God  who  ha^  safely  conducted  us 
through  our  first  year  of  national  existence.  We  have  been 
enabled  to  lay  anew  the  foundations  of  free  government  and 
to  repel  the  efforts  of  enemies  to  destroy  us.     Law  has  every- 


ANAL  YSIS  OF  HIS  CUA RA CTER.  4S3 

where  reigned  supreme,  and  throughout  our  wide-spread  limits 
personal  liberty  and  private  rights  have  been  duly  honored. 
A  tone  of  earnest  piety  has  pervaded  our  people,  and  the  vic- 
tories which  we  have  obtained  over'  our  enemies  have  been 
justly  ascribed  to  Him  who  ruleth  the  universe.  We  had 
hoped  that  the  year  would  have  closed  upon  a  scene  of  contin- 
ued prosperity,  but  it  has  pleased  the  Supreme  Disposer  of 
events  to  order  it  otherwise.  \¥e  are  not  permitted  to  furnish 
an  exception  to  the  rule  of  Divine  government  which  has  pre- 
scribed affliction  as  the  discipline  of  nations  asvwell  as  of  indi- 
viduals. Our  faith  and  perseverance  must  be  tested,  and  the 
chastening  which  seemeth  grievous  will,  if  rightly  received, 
bring  forth  its  appropriate  fruit.  It  is  meet  and  right,  there- 
fore, that  we  should  repair  to  the  only  giver  of  all  victory  and 
humbling  ourselves  before  Him,  should  pray  that  He  may 
strengthen  our  confidence  in  His  mighty  power  and  righteous 
judgments.  Then  may  we  surely  trust  in  Him  that  he  will 
perform  His  promise  and  encompass  us  as  with  a  shield.  In 
this  trust  and  to  this  end,  I,  Jefferson  Davis,  President  of  tlie 
Confederate  States,  do  hereby  set  apart  Friday,  the  28th  day  of 
February  instant,  as  a  day  of  fasting,  humiliation, and  prayer; 
and  I  do  hereby  invite  the  reverend  clergy  and  the  people  of  the 
Confederate  States  to  repair  to  their  respective  places  of  public 
worship  to  humble  themselves  before  Almighty  God  and  pray  for 
his  protection  and  favor  for  our  beloved  country  and  that  we 
may  be  saved  from  our  enemies  and  from  the  hand  of  all  that 
hate  us. 

"But  it  was  especially  in  private  life  and  in  his  home  that 
his  Christian  character  shone  out  most  clearly,  A  diligent 
student  of  God's  Word,  a  man  of  pra3"er  and  a  believer  in 
prayer,  a  regular  attendant  on  church  services,  fond  of  conver- 
sation on  religious  topics,  and  of  consistent  Christian  walk,  I 
had  in  my  intimate  personal  intercourse  with  him  the  most 
abundant  evidence  that  betook  Christ  as  his  personal  Saviour; 
that  he  rested  with  child-like  trust  in  the  grand  old  doctrines 
of  salvation  by  grace,  justification  by  faith,  and  that  he  rejoiced 
in  the  sweet  comforts  and  precious  hope  of  the  Gospel. 

"Grand  old  hero  of  mighty  conflicts — ever  true  to  God,  to 
country,  and  to  duty — thou  hast  fought  thy  last  battle;  thou 
hast  left  behind  a  stainless  name ;  thou  hast  won  thy  last  great 
victory;  thou  has  joined  Lee  and  Jackson   and  Stuart  and 


464  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUMK 

hosts  of  *  men  who  wore  the  gray '  and  were  soldiers  of 
the  Cross  as  well  as  soldiers  of  their  country;  thou  dost  now 
*  rest  Irom  thy  labors '  and  wear  thy  fadeless  crown. 

"J.  William  Jones." 

TRIBUTE   OF   BISHOP    J.    C.    KENNER. 

Bishop  Kenner,  of  the  M.  E.  Church  South,  closed  his  ser- 
mon in  Felicity  Street  church,  New  Orleans,  December  8th, 
18S9,  as  follows: 

"I  said  in  the  beginning  that  I  took  this  passage  because  it 
is  precious  to  contemplate,  and  because  all  are  thinking  of  the 
death  of  our  very  distinguished  citizen,  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis, 
who  now  lies  in  his  coffin  at  the  Municipal  Hall.  It  is  very 
delightful  for  us  to  realize  in  our  thoughts  that  his  hopes  are 
our  hopes,  and  our  hopes  his ;  that  he  was  not  merely  a  public 
character.  A  man  may  be  a  great  man,  a  magistrate;  he  may 
be  the  centre  of  all  thought  and  all  eyes;  he  may  be  a  great 
figure  in  history,  and  yet  when  he  comes  to  die  he  dies  like 
any  one  else;  he  is  only  a  man;  has  to  have  the  same  repent- 
ance, the  same  assurance,  the  same  faith  in  Christ;  goes  out 
the  same  way,  passes  through  the  same  passages  the  Saviour 
passed  through;  is  in  all  points  a  man;  and  as  Christ  was  the 
Son  of  Man,  it  is  essentially  all  that  can  be  said;  he  is  a  man 
saved  by  Christ. 

"I  had  the  good  fortune  to  know  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis  per- 
sonally, and  I  appreciated  his  acquaintance  very  highl}'.  I 
admired  him  intellectually.  It  was  delightful  to  talk  with 
him;  his  memory  was  so  tenacious  and  exact,  his  bearing  so 
admirable.  As  far  as  I  could  see,  he  was  a  man  of  great  ingen- 
uousness of  character,  of  lofty,  honorable  purpose,  a  man  that 
might  well  be  taken  for  an  example  to  young  men.  There 
was  one  other  man,  a  Virginian,  whose  character,  spiritually 
and  intellectually,  in  the- light  of  his  achievements,  in  the  light 
of  his  gentleness  and  genuineness,  is  a  model  for  almost  all 
men.  I  might  venture  to  say  that  Mr.'^Davis  had  great  integ- 
rity of  character,  and  he  will  ever  be  an  object  of  admiration 
to  all  who  fairly  understand  him,  just  as  our  revered  General 
Lee  now  is.  Mr.  Davis  fills  the  minds  and  hearts  or  all  the 
South  this  day.  He  lies  in  his  coffin  mourned,  admired,  and 
loved.     He   was,   by  the  providence  of  God,  called  to  act  a 


A}rAL  VSlS  OP  ins  on  AH  A  CTER,  468 

great  part  in  the  history  of  our  nation.  Events,  over  which 
he  had  no  control,  placed  him  at  the  head  of  the  Confederate 
government,  which,  as  its  executive,  he  guided  until  it  yielded 
to  the  force  of  arms.  His  integrity  of  purpose  and  character 
during  all  the  conduct  of  the  civil  war  left  him  at  its  close 
without  a  blemish.  His  imprisonment  for  two  years,  and  the 
untold  humiliations  which  accompanied  it,  did  not  affect  the 
nobility  of  his  mind.  He  suffered  without  losing  for  a  mo- 
ment the  gract  of  his  bearing  toward  foes  or  friends.  He  came 
out  of  it,  and  out  of  the  war,  a  better  man  and  a  maturer 
Christian.  Since  then  he  has  demeaned  himself  with  all  pro- 
priety and  dignity  in  his  intercourse  with  the  world.  He  has 
illustrated  and  vindicated  t  le  soundness  of  his  judgment  dur- 
ing the  tcr|*ible  events  of  war,  and  that  by  his  firmness  and 
wisdom  and  observances  of  the  maxims  of  civilized  warfare, 
the  South  emerged  from  its  smoke  and  blood,  self-respected, 
respected  by  the  world,  and  respectsc*  by  those  with  whom  it 
contended. 

"It  was  my  good  fortune  to  know  Mi.  Davis  intimately.  He 
attended  our  seashore  camp-meetings  and  ate  at  my  tent.  He 
was  a  sincere  believer  in  the  Christian  religion.  He  listened 
to  the  Word  and  to  the  experiences  of  the  people  of  God  with 
reverent  interest.  I  remember  on  one  occasion  he  met  me  as 
I  came  out  of  the  pulpit  and  thanked  me  heartily  for  the 
sermon,  and  said:  *You  have  removed  difficulties  from  my 
mind  in  respect  to  the  atonement,  and  I  shall  be  a  better  man 
for  it  from  this  time  to  the  end  of  my  life.'  The  sermon  was 
on  the  sinner  who  anointed  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  of  the 
debtors:  'When  they  had  nothing  to  pay,  he  frankly  forgave 
them  both.'  He  did  not  say  this  merely  as  a  compliment  to 
the  preacher.  I  was  somewhat  surprised  at  the  earnestness 
with  which  he  spoke,  and  his  manner  made  a  great  impression 
on  me. 

"My  last  conversation  with  him  was  on  the  cars,  on  the  sub- 
ject of  experimental  religion,  and  the  wonderful  expressions  oi 
Napoleon  the  Great  in  respect  to  the  Saviour  and  the  Gospel. 
I  doubt  not  that  he  went  straight  home  to  the  bosom  of  his 
Father  and  ours,  that  he  is  now  wnth  his  Lord  on  thesiiimiig 
shore  in  the  light  of  eternal  morning." 

30 


466  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLmiE. 

INCIDENT   FROM   SENATOR   JOHN   H.   REAGAN. 

We  have  received  the  following  touching  incident  from 
Senator  Reagan, the  old  Postmaster-General  of  the  Confederacy; 

"  United  States  Senate,  1 
"Washington,  D.  C,  January  10,  1890.      j 

"Rev.  J.  Wm.  Jones,  Atlanta,  Ga.: 

"My  Dear  Sir — In  answer  to  your  letter  of  January  1st  I 
send  you  herewith  a  copy  of  m}^  brief  address  at  Alexandria, 
Va.,  on  the  death  of  Mr.  Davis.  I  regret  that  I  have  not  time 
to  prepare  something  more  acceptable  in  the  way  of  reminis- 
cences. 

"I  will  mention  a  single  incident  illustrative  of  the  deeply 
religious  character  of  Mr.  Davis's  mind.  After  we  arrived 
together  as  prisoners  at  Hampton  Roads,  Mr.  Stephens,  the 
Vice-President  of  the  Confederacy  and  myself  were  ordered  on 
another  vessel  to  be  taken  to  Fort  Warren,  Boston  Harbor. 
On  taking  my  leave  of  Mr.  Davis  and  his  family  and  of  the 
Hon.  C.  C.  Clay  and  his  wife — and  it  was  a  very  sad  leave- 
taking — Mr.  Davis  requested  me  to  read  often  the  2Gth  Psalm. 
He  said  it  gave  him  consolation  to  read  it.  I  loved  him  as  I 
have  never  loved  any  other  man. 

"  Very  truly  and  respectfully, 

"John  H.  Reagan." 

We  might  give  hundreds  of  incidents  and  anecdotes  illus- 
trating his  character,  as  we  have  already  given  many  in  pre- 
vious chapters,  but  we  can  only  find  room  for  the  following. 

Mr.  H.  W.  Baldwin,  of  Madison,  Ga.,  wrote  to  ask  him  for  a 
line  to  his  two  boys,  and  received  the  following  in  replv: 

"      "  Beauvoir,  Miss.,  8th  March,  1889. 
''Masters  IK  T,  and  H.  W.  Baldioin: 

"  My  Dear  Young  Friends — While  you  are  not  old  enough 
to  remember  the  sad  scenes  through  which  your  father  and 
his  associates  passed,  yoj  taq  Vv  ing  in  the  midst  of  those 
whose  traditions  will  enable  you  fully  to  understand  the  ques- 
tions which  agitated  our  country  before  you  were  born. 

"While  it  would  be  unbecoming  a  Georgian  to  be  insensible 
to  the  wrongs  inflicted  upon  us,  to  forgive  is  a  much  higher 
quality  thaa  to  revenge.    He  who  came  to  save  sinners  taught 


ANAL  rsis  OF  ms  cbaha  CTsn,  46? 

the  new  and  grand  lesson  that  criminalty  was  in  the  intent, 
and  therefore  it  is  that  vengeance  properly  belongs  to  Him 
who  knows  the  hearts  of  men. 

"That  your  lives  may  be  useful,  honorable  and  peaceful,  is 
the  sincere  wish  of  yours,  Jefferson  Davis." 

]\Ir.  Lemuel  Park,  of  Atlanta,  wrote  him  his  desire  that  his 
two  little  boys  should  see  him,  and  received  a  very  cordial  in- 
vitation to  him  to  bring  them  and  a  very  cordial  reception, 
and  when  afterwards  he  carried  the  boys  to  s'ee  Mr.  Davis  in 
Macon,  he  promptly  recognized  and  warmly  greeted  them. 

His  kind  treatment  of  his  slaves  in  ante-bellum  days,  and  of 
his  servants  since,  was  not  only  well  known  to  his  neighbors 
and  friends,  but  seems  to  have  been  warmly  appreciated  by 
them,  as  the  following  will  show: 

"Raleigh,  N  C,  December  11,  1889. 
"James  H.  Jones,  who  was  the  body-servant  of  Jefferson 
Davis  at  the  time  of  his  capture,  and  has  for  many  years  been 
an  alderman  of  this  city,  to-day  sent  the  following  dispatch: 

"'Raleigh,  K  C,  December  11,  1889. 

"'  To  Mayor  Shalcspeare,  New  Orleans: 

"'As  the  old  body-servant  of  the  late  Jefferson  Davis,  my 
great  desire  was  to  be  the  driver  of  the  remains  of  my  old 
master  to  their  last  resting-place.  Returning  too  late  to  join 
the  white  delegation  from  this  city,  I  am  deprived  of  the 
opportunity  of  showing  my  lasting  appreciation  for  my  best 
friend.-  James  H.  Jones.' 

"  At  the  memorial  services  to-day  he  had  a  seat  immediately 
in  front  of  the  stage.  When  last  here  Mr.  Davis  excused  him- 
self from  other  callers  to  go  to  his  room  and  talk  with  'My 
friend,  James  Jones.'" 

"Brierfield,  Mississippi,  January  12,  1SS9. 

"  To  Mrs.  Jefferson  Davis,  Beaiivoir,  Mississijjjji  : 

"  We,  the  old  servants  and  tenants  of  our  beloved  master, 
Hon.  Jefferson  Davis,  have  cause  to  mingle  our  tears  over  his 
death, -who  was  always  so  kind  and  thoughtful  of  our  peace 
and  happiness.  We  extend  to  you  our  humble  sympathy. 
Respectfully  your  old  tenants  and  servants,  Ned  Gator,  Tom 
McKinney,  Grant  McKinney,  Mary  Pendleton,  Mary  Archer, 


m  TSE  £>AVIS  MMiomAL  VOLVMR 

Elijah  Martin,  "\Vm,  Nervis,  IscLbul  KiLciiens,  Teddy  Everson, 
Hy  Garland,  Laura  Nick,  Wm.  Green,  Gus  Williams  and  others." 
Another  of  his  old  servants  came  all  the  way  from  Florida 
to  see  him  when  he  learned  of  his  sickness,  and  was  deeply  dis- 
tressed at  his  death,  and  one  of  the  most  touching  incidents  of  the 
funeral  was  the  presence  and  sorrow  of  some  of  his  old  servants. 

We  received,  among  many  others  which  we  cannot  find 
space  to  use,  the  following  letter: 

"Raleigh,  N.  C,  December  18,  1889. 

"Dear  Sir — In  December,  1861,  wishing  an  appointment  in 
the  (regular)  Confederate  States  army,  I  determined  to  ask  Mr, 
Davis  for  it.  I  had  cast  my  first  vote  for  him  at  the  Novem- 
ber election,  was  youthful  in  appearance,  no  sign  of  beard,  and  in 
contemplation  of  the  visit  had  gone  to  a  barber  and  was  shaved. 

"  AVhen  I  told  Mr.  Davis  what  I  wished,  he  replied  :  'Why, 
Mr.  Ashe,  you  are  too  young.'  'Why,  Mr.  Davis,  I  voted  for 
you  last  month!' 

"  He  had  probably  thought  me  about  eighteen  years  of  age, 
and  fearing  that  he  had  hurt  my  feelings,  he  blushed  very 
perceptibly,  and  hastily  said:  'Oh,  excuse  me;  I  beg  your 
pardon.  It  was  a  long  time  before  I  had  whiskers  myself,' 
putting  his  hand  to  his  rather  thin  beard  as  he  spoke. 

"Ills  kindly  attempt  to  reassure  me,  by  pu'ting  himself  in 
the  same  box  with  myself  with  regard  to  the  absence  of  a 
manly  beard,  and  his  blushing,  indicated  the  gentle  heart  of 
the  true  gentleman. 

"  In  1864  (it  must  have  been),  or  perhaps  1803,  when  he  was 
visiting  the  fort  below  Wilmington,  a  little  girl  of  seven  was 
brought  to  him  on  the  steamboat,  and  presented  as  a  daughter 
of  Mr.  William  Asho.  He  took  her  in  his  arms,  there  before 
the  crowd,  and  drew  her  to  his  breast,  and  told  her  that  he 
had  loved  her  father  (who  was  then  dead),  and  kissing  her, 
held  her  to  him  sometime,  as  if  his  heart  felt  warm  towards 
her.     Yours,  truly,  S.  A.  Ashe." 

But  we  have  run  over  considerably  the  space  we  had  allotted 
to  the  "  Outline  of  his  Life  and  Character,"  and  yet  we  have  not 
told  the  half  that  might  be  told  of  the  deeds  and  character  of 
this  stainless  gentleman,  incorruptible  patriot,  great  leader,  and 
humble  Christian. 


PART  II. 

i 
HIS  SICKNESS,  DEATH, 


FUNERAL  OBSEQUIES 


World's  Tribute  to  His  Memory,- 


HIS  SICKNESS  AND  DEATH. 

HE  health  of  Mr.  Davis  had  been  poor  for  a  numbei* 
of  years,  but  by  the  careful  nursing  of  his  wife,  the 
skill  of  physicians,  and  his  own  prudence  he  had 
rallied  from  repeated  illness,  had  lived  to  see  his 
8 1st  birthday,  and  when  we  saw  him  about  that  time  and  again 
in  July  he  seemed  better  and  stronger  than  for  some  years. 
But  a  short  time  before  his  fatal  illness  it  became  necessary  for 
him  to  go  to  Brierfield  on  important  business,  and  he  was  feel- 
ing so  well/'that  he  insisted  that  it  was  not  necessary  for  Mrs. 
Davis  to  accompany  him. 

While  there  he  was  taken  sick,  came  back  to  New  Orleans 
through  very  unfavorable  weather.  Mrs.  Davis  met  .him  on 
the  way  and  returned  with  him,  and  went  at  once  to  the  house 
of  Judge  Charles  E.  Fenner,  where  also  lived  his  life-long 
friend,  Mr.  J.  U.  Payne,  and  there  received  every  attention  that 
loving  care  could  suggest  until  the  sad  end  came. 
The  Picayune  gave  the  following  account : 

"  Jefferson  Davis  closed  his  eyes  in  death  at  fifteen  minutes  before  1 
o'clock  this  morning,  surrounded  by  all  of  his  friends  and  relatives  who 
were  within  call. 

"The  handsome  and  characteristically  southern  residence  of  Judge 
Charles  E.  Fenner,  at  the  corner  of  First  and  Camp  streets,  is  at  present  an 
object  of  interest  to  every  friend  of  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis,  because  it  is  in  the 
pleasant  guest-chamber  of  this  elegant  home  that  the  beloved  old  Confed- 
erate chieftain  passed  away. 

"The  Fenner  residence,  built  by  Judge  F&nner's  brother-in-law,  J.  JJ. 
Payne,  is  one  of  the  most  comfortable  and  interiorly  artistic  in  all  the  city. 
It  is  of  brown  stone  stucco,  two  stories  high  with  broad  verandas  and  set  in 
lovely  grounds,  where  camel ia  bushes  are  spiked  with  bloom  and  oranges 
hang  in  clusters  on  the  trees. 

"  The  house  has  a  wide  hall  running  through  the  centre  with  drawing- 
rooms  on  one  side,  a  library  on  the  other  and  on  the  rear  corner  of  the 
house  in  a  lovely  and  cheery  apartment,  into  which  the  southern  sun 
streams  nearly  all  day,  lay  the  patient  and  distinguished  invalid. 
[471] 


47S  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

"  It  is  a  wonderfully  pretty  room,  with  a  rich  toned,  Persian  hired  carpet  on 
the  floor,  shades  and  delicate  lace  curtains  at  the  four  windows — two  front- 
ing to  the  east  and  two  to  the  south.  Pictures  are  on  the  walls  and  there 
are  a  lounge,  easy  Turkish  chairs  and  pretty  carved  tables  and  a  huge 
carved  oak  Victoria  bedstead  on  which  the  ex-President  of  the  Confederacy 
lies  in  the  embrace  of  death. 

"  II is  constant  attendant  has  been  Mrs.  Davis,  who  has  never  left  his  bed- 
side since  his  illness  began.  In  a  comfortable  home  wrapper  of  gray  and 
black  this  gentle  ministrant  was  always  at  the  invalid's  side,  and  if  she 
left  him  for  a  moment  he  asked  for  her,  and  was  fretted  or  uneasy  until  she 
returned. 

"  Friends  constantly  sent  beautiful  flowers,  of  which  Mr.  Davis  was  very 
fond,  but  these  were  not  allowed  to  remain  in  the  sick  room  for  any  length 
of  time.  At  the  outset  jellies,  fruits  and  all  manner  of  invalid's  delicacies 
were  proffered,  until  Mrs.  Davis  was  compelled  to  decline  them.  The  sick 
man's  food  was  only  milk,  ice,  beef  tea,  and  rarely  a  broiled  chop. 

"  Mr.  Davis  remained  in  bed  all  the  time  and  was  never  left  alone,  being 
guarded  lovingly  by  his  wife  and  the  capable  quadroon  hired  nurse  Lydia? 
and  Mrs.  Davis's  own  little  brown-eyed  handmaiden  Betty,  who  at  all  times 
had  entree  to  the  sickroom.  But  little  talking  was  allowed,  and  news- 
papers, letters  and  telegrams  were  tabooed. 

"  On  Wednesday  afternoon  a  reporter  of  the  Picayune  was  fortunate  enough 
to  have  a  few  moments'  conversation  with  Mrs.  Davis.  She  was  worn  and 
wearied  with  service  at  the  sick  bed,  but  which  she  would  not  allow  to  any 
other,  and  her  step  was  lagging  as  she  came  into  the  dining-room.  She 
was  very  hopeful,  however,  of  her  husband's  ultimate  recovery. 

" '  Mr.  Davis  has  always  been  an  exceedingly  temperate  man,'  said  Mrs. 
Davis, '  he  has  never  abused  his  physical  body,  and  no  one  could  have  lived 
more  moderately  than  he.  Of  course  all  this  is  in  his  favor.  I  do  not 
mean  to  saj  that  there  would  be  no  danger  if  a  door  were  left  open  or  the 
fire  in  his  room  allowed  to  go  out.  He  is  as  frail  as  a  lily,  and  requires  the 
most  exquisite  care.  That  he  has.  I  believe  he  would  not  be  alive  to-day 
had  this  illness  come  upon  him  at  Beauvoir,  where  he  could  not  possibly 
have  had  the  constant  cace  of  such  physicians  as  Dr.  Bickham  and  Dr. 
Chaille,  and  the  intelligent  love,  tenderness  and  luxury  that  surround 
him  in  this  home.' 

"Mr.  Davis  seemed  much  better  during  the  early  part  of  yesterday,  and 
his  improved  condition  was  remarked  by  the  doctors  and  his  family.  He 
had  a  pain  in  the  bowels  during  the  day,  but  the  serious  feature  appeared 
just  a  few  minutes  before  six  o'clock.  Then  the  illustrious  patient  was 
stricken  with  a  severe  congestive  chill.  The  doctors  were  not  present  ab 
the  time,  but  Judge  Fenner's  iamily  andMrs.  Da,vis  did  eveiything  to  soothe' 
the  su^erer. 


EJS  SICKNESS  AND  DEA  TU.  47S 

**  He  lost  consciousness  after  the  chill,  and  never  sensibly  recovered  his 
faculties. 

"It  was  7  o'clock  before  Dr.  C.  J.  Bickham,  vice-President  of  the  board 
of  administrators  of  the  charity  hospital,  and  Dr.  Stanford  E.  Chaille,  Dean 
of  the  medical  faculty  of  Tulane  University,  and  two  of  the  most  famous 
practitioners  in  the  South,  arrived  and  consulted  over  the  condition  of  the 
patient. 

"  His  change  was  a  surprise  totally  unexpected  by  even  those  in  constant 
attendance,  and  the  skilled  eyes  of  the  medical  men  saw  in  it  the  beginning 
of  the  end.  They  continued  with  the  patient  until  his  death,  however,  and 
made  every  possible  eifort  to  avoid  tho  inevitable. 

"Mr.  Davis  remained  in  a  comatose  condition,  and  the  attendants  could 
see  no  signs  of  consciousness.  Mrs.  Davis  said  she  occasionally  felt  a  return 
of  the  pressure  of  the  hand  she  held,  although  he  could  neither  speak  nor 
make  a  sign. 

"  This  was  the  scene  in  the  sick -chamber  as  the  hours  passed  : 

"  At  the  bedsidC;  when  the  end  came,  were  Mrs.  Davis,  Mr.  J.  U.  Payne,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Judge  Charles  E.  Fenner,  Mr.  E.  H.  I^'arrar,  Miss  Smith,  a  grand- 
niece  of  Mr.  Davis;  Mr.  E.  D.  fenner,  a  son  of  tha  justice;  Dr.  C.  J.  Bick- 
ham, and  Dr.  S.  E.  Chaille. 

"  The  lamp  of  life  waned  low  as  the  hour  of  midnight  arrived ;  nor  did  it 
flicker  into  the  brightness  of  consciousness  at  aay  time.  Eagerly,  yet  ten- 
derly, the  watchers  gazed  at  the  face  of  the  dying  chieftain.  His  face, 
always  calm  and  pale,  gained  additional  pallor,  and  at  a  quarter  to  1  o'clock 
of  the  morning  of  the  6th  day  of  December  death  came  to  the  venerable 
leader. 

*'  There  was  nothing  remarkable  about  the  deatb-b^d  gcene.  The  depar- 
ture of  the  spirit  was  gentle  and  utterly  painless.  There  were  no  dry  eyes 
in  the  little  assembly  about  the  bed,  and  every  heart  bled  with  theanguish 
which  found  vent  in  Mrs.  Davis's  sobs  and  cries. 

"  Immediately  after  the  death  Mrs.  Davis  was  led  up  stairs  to  the  bed- 
room of  Mrs.  Fenner,  where  the  ladies  tried  to  assuage  her  grief.  She  bore 
the  awful  blow  bravely,  but  her  breathing  was  labored,  and  her  condition 
6o  weakened  that  the  two  doctors  consulted  her.  They  pronounced  her 
M'eakness  to  be  only  that  consequent  on  the  strain  and  the  grief,  and  said 
that  nothing  was  to  be  feared. 

"  In  the  meanwhile,  the  body  was  being  straightened  and  bathed.  It  will 
be  emi)almed  early  this  morning. 

"  In  the  limited  time  of  last  night  no  arrangements  for  the  funeral  could 
be  thought  of.  Mrs.  Davis  signified  h^r  wish  that  Judge  Fenner  and  Mr. 
Farrar  should  take  entire  charge  ot  «4lJ  matters  connected  with  the  buriai." 


474  THE  DA  VLS  3IEM0BIAL   VOL  UME. 

The  Times-Democrat  gave  the  following  account  of  the  clos- 
ing scene: 

"  At  12:45  o'clock  this  morning  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis,  ex-President  of  the 
Confederate  States,  passed  away  at  the  residence  of  Associate  Justice  Charles 
E.  Fenner. 

"  From  the  beginning  of  Ms  fatal  illness  Mr.  Davis  had  insisted  that  his 
case  was  nearly  or  quite  hopeless,  though  the  dread  of  pain  or  fear  of  death 
never  appeared  to  take  the  slightest  hold  upon  his  spirits,  which  were  brave 
and  even  buoyant  from  the  beginning  of  his  attack. 

"  In  vain  did  the  doctor  strive  to  impress  upon  him  that  his  health  was 
Improving,  He  steadily  insisted  that  there  was  no  improvement,  but  with 
Christian  resignation  he  was  content  to  accept  whatever  Providence  had  in 
store  for  him. 

"  Only  once  did  he  waver  in  his  belief  that  his  case  showed  no  improve- 
ment, and  that  was  at  an  early  hour  yesterday  morning,  when  he  playfully 
remarked  to  Mr.  Payne:  'lam  afraid  that  I  shall  be  compelled  to  agree 
with  the  doctors  for  once,  and  admit  that  I  am  a  little  better.' 

"  All  da3'  long  the  favorable  symptoms  continued,  and  late  in  the  afternoon, 
as  late  as  4  o'clock,  Mrs.  Davis  sent  a  cheering  message  to  Mrs.  Stamps  and 
iNJr.  and  IMrs.  Farrar. 

"  At  6  o'clock  last  evening,  without  any  assignable  cause,  IMr.  Davis  was 
seized  with  a  congestive  chill,  which  seemed  to  absolutely  crush  the  vitality 
out  of  his  already  enfeebled  body.  So  weak  was  Mr.  Davis  that  the  violence 
of  the  assault  soon  subsided  for  lack  of  vitality  upon  which  to  prey. 

"From  that  moinent  tc  the  moment  of  his  death  the  history  of  the  case 
was  that  of  a  gradual  sinking.  At  7  o'clock  Mrs.  Davis  administered  some 
medicine,  but  the  ex-President  declined  to  receive  the  whole  dose. 

"  She  urged  upon  him  the  necessity  of  taking  the  remainder,  but  putting 
it  aside,  with  the  gentlest  of  gestures  he  whispered, '  Pray,  excuse  me.' 

"These  were  his  last  "words.  Gradually  he  grew  weaker  and  weaker,  but 
never  for  an  instant  seemed  to  lose  consciousness.  Lying  peacefully  upon 
his  bed  and  without  a  trace  of  pain  in  his  look,  he  remained  for  hours. 
Silently  clasping  and  tenderly  caressing  his  wife's  hand,  with  undaunted 
Christian  spirit,  he  awaited  the  end. 

"From  the  moment  of  the  dread  assault  of  the  congestive  chill  those 
gathered  around  his  bedside  who  had  been  watching  and  noting  with  pain- 
''ul  interest  evfery  change  of  symptoms  for  the  past  month  knew  well  that 
the  dread  messenger  was  even  at  the  door. 

"About  10:30  o'clock  Associate  Justice  Fenner  went  to  call  to  Mr.  Davis's 
bedside  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Farrar  and  Mrs.  Stamps.  As  soon  as  the  message 
reached  them  they  hurried  to  the  bedside  of  the  dying  ex-President. 

"  By  11:30  o'clock  there  were  assembled  in  the  death  chamber  Mrs,  Davis, 
Drs.  Chaille  and  Bickham,  Associate  Justice  and  Mrs.  Fenner,  Miss  Nannie 
Smith,  grandnie«e  of  the  dying  ex-President,  and  Mr,  and  Mrs.  E.  H.  Farrar. 


HIS  SICKNESS  AND  DEATH. 


475 


"  Finding  that  Mr.  Davis  -was  breathing  somewhat  heavily  as  he  lay  npon 
his  back  the  doctors  assisted  him  to  turn  upon  his  right  side.  '^Vith  his 
cheelc  resting  upon  his  riglit  hand  like  a  sleeping  infant  and  with  his  left 
hand  dropping  across  his  chest,  he  lay  for  some  fifteen  minutes  breathing 
softly  but  faintly.  More  and  more  feeble  became  his  respirations  till  they 
passed  into  silence,  and  then  the  watchers  kncwthatthe  silver  cord  had  been 
loosed  and  the  goluen  bowl  broken.    The  Father  of  the  Confederacy  had 

passed  away — 

"As  calmly  as  to  a  night's  repose, 
Or  flowers  at  set  of  sun." 


"PRAY,  EXCUSE  ME." 

"  Despite  the  fact  that  the  end  had  come  slowly  and  peacefully,  and  after 
she  had  been  face  to  face  for  hours  with  the  dread  reality,  the  blow  fell  with 
crushing  force  upon  the  afflicted  widow. 

"  As  long  as  there  had  been  work  for  either  head  or  hand  she  had  borne 
up  bravely,  and  not  until  the  sweet  uses  for  her  tender  ministrations  were 
lost  did  she  seem  to  realize  the  terrible  force  of  the  blow  that  had  fallen 
upon  her. 

"  Knowing  of  a  predisposition  to  heart  affection,  the  doctors  were  at  once 
gravely  alarmed  for  her,  and  they  promptly  administered  a  composing 
draught,  and  at  a  late  hour  this  morning  she  was  resting  quietly. 


4t6  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

"  It  ig  believed  that  the  foundation  of  the  ex-President's  last  illness  was 
malaria,  complicated  with  acute  bronchitis. 

"  Carefi^l  nursing  and  skilled  medical  attention  had  mastered  the  latter 
but  it  is  supposed  that  the  congestive  chill,  which  was  the  immediate  cause 
of  death  was  attributable  to  a  return  ot  the  malaria. 

"After  death  the  face  of  the  deceased,  though  looking  slightly  emaciated, 
showed  no  trace  of  suffering,  more  nearly  resembling  that  of  a  peaceful 
sleeper  than  of  the  dead. 

"  When  the  family  had  partially  recovered  from  the  terrible  shock,  Mr. 
Farrar  went  to  the  Western  Union  telegraph  office  and  sent  dispatches  to 
Miss  Winnie  Davis,  who  is  in  Paris  with  Mrs.  Pulitzer,  to  Mr.  Davis's  son-in 
law  in  Colorado  City,  and  also  notified  Governor  Lowry,  of  Mississippi,  as  he 
deemed  it  but  right  that  the  Executive  of  the  State  should  know  of  the 
death  of  one  of  its  most  distinguished  sons, 

"  Senator  Jones,  who  had  started  from  Iowa  some  days  ago  to  pay  a  visit 
to  his  old  friend  and  comrade,  did  not  arrive  yesterday,  as  was  expected, 
and  when  he  reaches  this  city  to-day  will  only  behold  the  remains  of  him 
whom  in  life  he  esteemed  and  to  see  whom  he  travelled  from  far-off  Iowa  to 
the  Sunny  South. 

"  jNIrs.  Hayes,  Mr.  Davis's  daughter,  who  was  due  here  yesterday,  was 
detained  last  night  at  Fort  AYorth,  and  is  not  expected  to  be  in  the  city  until 
Saturday  morning." 

The  announcement  of  the  death  of  our  great  chieftain  ex- 
cited the  profoundest  grief,  and  called  forth  the  warmest 
expressions  of  sorrow,  not  only  in  New  Orleans,  but  through- 
out the  whole  South,  and  among  many  at  the  North. 

We  could  fill  a  volume  much  larger  than  this  with  editorials, 
telegrams  and  resolutions  that  voiced  the  feelings  of  the  peo- 
ple, but  we  can  only  cull  a  few  from  the  many. 

TLb  Daily  States  said  in  its  editorial : 

"Throughout  all  the  South  there  are  lamentations  and  tears;  in  every 
country  on  the  globe  wher§  there  are  lovers  of  libeity  there  is  mourning; 
wherever  there  are  men  who  admire  heroic  patriotism,  dauntless  resolution, 
fortitude,  or  intellectual  power  and  supremacy,  there  is  sincere  sorrowing. 
The  beloved  of  our  land,  the  unfaltering  upholder  of  constitutional  libertyj 
the  typical  hero  and  sage,  is  no  more ;  the  fearless  heart  that  beat  with 
sympathy  for  all  mankind  is  stilled  forever,  a  great  light  has  gone  out — 
Jefferson  Davis  is  dead  I 

"A  quarter  of  a  century  has  elapsed  since  the  last  charge  of  the  Confede- 
rates at  Appomattox.     The  illustrious  chief  of  the  Confederacy  now  lies 


MIS  SICKJ^ESS  AND  t>EA  TS.  Alt 

(lead.  No  one  of  all  the  illustrious  personages  who  have  adorned  the  his- 
tory of  the  Union,  served  that  union  in  the  field,  in  the  Cabinet,  and  in  the 
Senate,  better  than  he.  Yet,  he  died  disfranchised  ;  denied  the  simjilest 
political  privileges  accorded  to  the  millions  of  ignorant,  irresponsible,  and 
semi-barbarious  negroes  the  Federal  Government  emancipated  and  enfran- 
chised. But  all  the  enactments  of  Congress ;  all  the  fierce  and  bitter  denun- 
ciations of  the  North  ;  all  the  vituperations,  malice,  hatred,  and  misrepre- 
sentations that  the  press  and  leaders  of  the  North  have  heaped  upon  Jeffer- 
son Davis,  and  by  which  for  twenty-five  years  they  have  souj:ht  to  brand 
him  "traitor,"  have  failed  of  their  purpose,  and  he  stands  forth  to-day  aa 
one  of  the  grandest  examples  of  patriotism  and  as  one  of  the  most  indomi- 
table champions  of  liberty  that  has  ever  appeared  upon  the  area  of  human 
affairs.  He  who  stood  through  the  grandest  and  most  terrific  political  epi- 
sode of  history,  as  the  centralfigure  and  chief  of  that  band  of  heroes  com- 
posed of  Lee^  Johnston,  Jackson,  Bragg,  Beauregard,  and  a  hundred  others 
and  about  whose  lifeless  form  millions  of  his  countrymen  to-day  are  weep- 
ing, confounds  alike  the  malice  and  the  fury  of  traducers,  whether  those 
traducers  be  individuals  or  nations. 

"  Jefferson  Davis  is  dead  ;  but  the  principles  for  which  he  struggled,  for  the 
vindication  of  which  he  devoted  his  life,  for  which  he  suffered  deleat,  and 
unto  which  he  clung  until  death,  still  live.  The  fanatical  bowlings  of  the 
abolitionists,  the '■tumult  and  thunders  of  civil  war,  the  fierce  mouthings  cf 
the  organizers  of  reconstruction,  and  reconstruction  itself,  that  black  and 
foul  disgrace  of  humanity, '  all  are  departed,  sunk  to  silence  like  a  tavern 
brawl,'  but  the  constitutional  principles  upon  which  the  Confederacy  was 
founded  and  for  which  Jefferson  Davis  spoke  and  struggled,  for  which  he 
gave  life  and  fortune,  still  survive  in  all  their  living  power;  and  when 
they  shall  have  been,  if  ever,  really  destroyed,  this  Eepublic  will  be  trans- 
formed into  one  of  the  most  oppressive  and  offensive  oligarchies  that  has 
ever  arisen  amongst  the  civilized  nations  of  the  earth. 

"Come,  then,  veterans  of  the  Confederacy,  with  your  wounds  and  scai-s  ; 
come,  fair  women  of  the  South,  with  your  floral  gifts  and  patriot  tears; 
come  young  men  of  the  land,  if  you  would  behold  a  hero  and  a  patriot  who 
should  be  your  inspirator  in  life;  come  people  of  South  whom  he  loved  so 
well,  and  mourn  for  the  mighty  dead.  And  ye!  spirits  of  the  patriot  dead' 
whose  bodies  lie  scattered  on  a  thousand  battle-fields,  if  it  be  vouchsafed  to 
immortal  souls  to  revisit  the  scenes  of  their  glorious  deeds  and  noble  mar- 
tyrdom, come  to  receive  the  mighty  spirit  of  him  who  has  finished  his 
work  on  earth,  and  has  gone  to  join  you  in  immortal  happiness  and  glory .'< 

The  Times-Democrat  made  the  following  editorial  announce- 
raent: 

"Draped  in  mourning  this  morning  rs  another  page  in  the  history  of 
tb©  world.    Jefferson  Davis  is  Ueadl    Tried  in  ruaoiy  high  offices  »"d  ^f^''"'^ 


478  TilE  DA  ViS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

faithful  in  all ;  tested  in  many  critical  conjunctures,  and  proved  true  to  bis 
country  and  his  people;  his  life  one  long,  uninterrupted  sacrifice  of  inter- 
est to  conscience,  the  fame  of  the  illusti'ious  dead  shall  in  the  years  to  come 
grow  brighter  as  the  embers  of  passion  die  away. 

"  Jeflferson  Davis  was  not  wholly  understood  while  he  lived,  and  it  is  too 
much  to  hope  that  now  when  he  is  dead  the  impartial  judgment  of  his 
countrj'men  will  wait  upon  his  deeds.  His  figure  was  clearly  outlined 
against  the  sky  of  intense  conviction,  and,  as  in  life,  he  shirked  no  respon- 
sibility, but  boldly  followed  where  reason  led  the  way,  so  in  his  death  the 
South  asks  only  that  in  the  void  which  comes  when  her  great  chieftain  has 
passed  away,  no  jarring  sound  or  discordant  note  of  sectional  hute  shall 
disturb  the  sombre  and  sad-hued  clouds  that  hang  above  us.  His  fame  is 
ours  this  morning ;  a  century  hence  it  will  be  the  world's! 

"The  greatness  of  Jefferson  Davis  stands  confessed,  as  now  we  write,  in  a 
people's  tears.  Tenacious  of  principle,  the  slave  of  conscience,  resolute,  yet 
filled  with  the  i^ispiration  that  comes  from  unyielding  belief,  the  giant  fig- 
ure of  the  ex-President  of  the  Confederacy  stalked  across  the  nineteenth 
century  as  some  majestic  spirit,  that  strong  in  the  consciousness  of  its  own 
right-doing,  scorned  the  plaudits  of  a  world  ;  and  lived  only  that  in  himself 
duty  might  be  deified.  Such  was  Jefferson  Davis,  and  such  will  history 
declare  him  to  be. 

"That  was  an  eventful  life.  Thrice  in  his  fourscore  years  was  the  cour- 
age of  Jefferson  Davis  tested  in  the  fierce  crucible  of  war.  And  thrice  did 
he  come  forth  a  hero,  his  glory  brighter,  his  name  more  luminous,  his  fame 
an  everlasting  heritage  to  the  countrj^  that  gave  him  birth.  No  cause  e'er 
had  a  grander  champion,  no  people  a  bolder  defender,  no  principle  a  purer 
victim  than  the  dead  statesman,  soon  to  lie  in  yonder  burial  ground,  with 
whose  body  are  enwrapped  the  hopes  and  memories  of  the  South  he  loved 
so  well.  In  honor  now  he  rests;  a  stricken  people  mourn  him;  the  hush 
is  like  the  void  which  comes  when  a  strain  of  music  dies. 

"  The  character  of  Jefferson  Davis  must  awake  fierce  controversy.  There 
are  those  too  warped  and  narrow  of  mind  and  heart  to  do  him  justice ;  there 
are  those  too  near  and  dear  to  the  Cause  that  was  loved  and  lost  to  see  a 
spot  to  dim  the  lustre  of  ite  chief  sun. 

"But history — cold,  calm,  impartial,  unbeclouded  history — will  do  justice 
to  the  great  dead.  Not  wholly  free  from  that  asperity  which  firm  convic- 
tion begets,  nor  yet  capable  of  truly  estimating  the  grandeur  and  nobility 
of  those  who  differed  with  him,  Jefferson  Davis  will  ever  stand,  for  rigiaity 
of  belief,  for  unswerving  devotion  to  principle,  for  dignity  of  bearing  in  the 
hour  and  home  of  desolation,  for  a  simplicity  that  was  sublime,  and  for  an 
honor  that  was  impregnable,  as  one  of  nature's  noblemen,  cast  in  the  mold 
of  that  finer  ambition  which  makes  men  great  and  pure. 

"  The  solemn  silence  of  this  hour  should  not  be  broken  by  the  resound- 
ing clash  of  conflicting  opinions.    Let  us  sorrowfully  lay  to  rest  all  that 


480  fm  £>Ans  MSMoMAL  VOLtfMR 

remain^;  of  the  illustrious  dead,  confidently  consigning  hia  faffi6  to  thfe 
keeping  of  that  time  which,  happily, '  is  not  so  much  the  tomb  of  virtue  as 
its  shrine.'  " 

The  City  Item  said  editoriall/ : 

•Words  are  inadequate  to  express  the  feelings  that  pervade  the  South  to-day. 
Jefferson  Davis  is  dead.  The  great  leader  in  the  most  glorious  epoch  of 
Southern  history,  our  sublime  esaraplar  in  years  of  humiliation  and  sorrow, 
the  martyr  who  suffered  with  heroic  fortitude  the  persecutions  intended 
for  his  people,  Jefferson  Davis,  the  illustrious  type  of  a  cause  that  was  con- 
secrated by  the  best  blood  of  the  South,  has  laid  down  his  cross  to  receive  a 
crown.  Freed  from  its  earthly  shackles,  his  soul  is  now  at  rest  with  Lee 
and  Jackson,  and  with  the  spirits  of  his  dauntless  legions  that  preceded 
him  through  the  portals  of  the  grave. 

"  A  soldier  of  three  wars,  a  statesman  through  half  a  century,  Jefferson 
Davis  was  simple  and  modest  in  his  triumphs  and  royal  in  his  sorrow.  The 
South  admired  him  in  victory,  and  loved  and  honored  him  in  defeat. 

"  Mr.  Davis  was  a  man  of  wonderful  energy,  splendid  intelligence,  intense 
conviction,  and  exalted  patriotism,  and  upon  all  the  traits  of  his  noble  man- 
hood was  shed  the  lustre  of  a  Christian  character. 

"  The  South  mourns  his  loss  to-day  as  a  mother  weeping  for  her  first-born. 
Monuments  will  speak  to  coming  generations  of  his  fame,  but  a  more  price- 
less homage  than  can  be  rendered  by  statues  of  marble  and  bronze  are  the 
tears  of  his  sorrowing  people." 

THE    DAY   OF    HIS   DEATH. 

Mayor  Shakspeare,  as  soon  as  he  was  informed  of  the  death 
of  Mr.  Davis  at  3  o'clock  A.  M.,  issued  the  following  proclama- 
tion : 

"It  is  with  the  deepest  regret  that  I  announce  to  the  people  of  the  city 
of  New  Orleans  the  departure  from  this  life  of  Jefferson  Davis.  He  needs 
no  eulogy  from  me.  His  life  is  history  and  his  memory  is  enshrined  in  the 
heart  of  every  man,  woman  and  child  in  this  broad  South.  We  all  loved 
him,  and  we  all  owe  him  honor  and  reverence.  In  order  that  proper 
arrangements  may  be  made  for  his  funerai,  I  have  the  honor  to  invite  the 
following  gentlemen  to  meet  me  in  my  ofiice  at  12  o'clock  this  day  to  con- 
fer on  the  subject." 

The  mayor  also  sent  a  message  to  each  one  of  the  Governors 
of  the  old  Confederate  States. 


HIS  SICKNESS  A  ND  DEA  TS.  481 

Governor  Nicholls  issued  the  following  proclamation : 

"Executive  Department,  State  of  Louisiana, 

"  Baton  Eocge,  Dec.  6, 1889. 

"  It  is  with  profound  emotion  and  heartfelt  sorrow  that  I  announce  to 
the  people  ol  the  State  of  Louisiana  the  death  of  Jefferson  Davis,  the  hon- 
ored President  of  the  Confederate  States. 

"  As  soldier,  statesman  and  citizen  he  nobly  performed  his  part.  Tlie 
pages  ot  history  will  perpetuate  his  glorious  record.  The  eyes  of  future 
generations  will  turn  reverently  to  that  heroic  figure  whose  death  the  grate- 
ful South  now  mourns.  His  fame  stands  impregnable.  To  it  the  eulogies 
of  his  loving  people  can  add  no  lustre.  From  it  the  deuunciations  of  his 
enemies  cannot  detract. 

"  Francis  T.  Nicolls,  Governor  of  Louisiana. 

i 

Telegrams  of  condolence  began  to  pour  in  early  in  the  day, 
and  continued  to  come  all  day  and  until  late  in  the  night — 
indeed,  until  after  the  funeral.  Among  those  received  by  Mrs. 
Davis  were  the  following :  -^ 

From  Governor  Kobert  Lowry,  Mississippi : 

"  Bells  are  tolling,  public  buildings  draped  in  mourning  and  immense 
meeting  to  be  held  at  4  P.  M.,  witn.  view  of  dispatching  committee  to  claim 
remains  of  the  great  dead  for  interment  in  Mississippi." 

From  W.  W.  Stone,  W.  L.  Hemingway,  T.  M.  Miller,  George  M.  Govan,  T. 
E.  Preston,  W.  D.  Holden,  Jackson,  Mississippi: 

"  Permit  us  to  tender  you  and  yours  assurances  of  sympathy  in  your 
unspeakable  bereavement.  Your  great  husband  will  live  always  in  the  rev- 
erent and  affectionate  memory  of  all  our  people,  whose  grief  now  is  without 
measure." 

From  Governor  L.  S.  Ross,  Austin,  Texas: 

"I  write  in  a  portrayal  of  sincere  condolence  with  those  who  honored 
your  illustrious  husband  while  living,  and  who  revere  his  memory  when 
dead.  His  lofty  patriotism,  immaculate  integrity,  and  firmness  of  purpose, 
which  never  yielded  principle  for  expediency  nor  abandoned  the  right  for 
success  will  be  held  up  for  emulation  by  the  aspiring  youth  of  Texas  who 
would  achieve  an  honorable  distmction  among  their  fellow-men." 

From  Governor  Robert  Lowry,  Mississippi : 

"  State  officers  resolve  to  attend  the  funeral  in  a  body.  Please  advise 
arrangements.  "Will  you  kindly  make  known  to  the  family  tliat  Mississippi, 
the  State  he  loved  so  well,  will  claim  the  honor  of  being  the  resting-place  of 
the  patriot,  statesman,  and  nobleman,  whose  great  name  is  indissolubly 
linked  with  her  own?" 

31 


482  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  tOLtfMB, 

From  Governor  J.  P.  Richardson,  Columbia,  S.  C. : 

"With  my  deep  and  sincere  personal  sj-mpathy,  I  beg  to  expriess  to  you 
the  profound  sorrow  of  the  people  of  South  Carolina  at  the  intelligence  of  tlie 
death  of  your  illustrious  husband.  The  fame  of  his  greatness  will  grow 
with  the  passing  years." 

From  Mayor  John  J.  Glenn,  Atlanta,  Ga. : 

"  You  have  deepest  sympathy  in  the  loss  of  your  illustrious  husband. 
They  loved  him  to  the  last." 

From  Governor  Francis  T.  Nicholls  to  Judge  E.  C.  Fenner : 

"The  people  of  Louisiana  will  hear  with  profound  grief  and  sorrow 
the  death  of  President  Davis,  a  man  who,  standing  equally  the  tests  of 
prosj^erity  and  adversity,  became  even  more  and  more  endeared  to  the  true 
men  and  women  of  his  State  as  his  brave  and  unblemished  life  drew  to  a 
close. 

"Would  you  do  me  the  kindness  at  a  later  moment  to  convey  to  Mrs.  Davis 
my  sincere  sympathy  with  her,  and  the  expression  of  strong  regard  and 
affection  for  her  husband  ? 

"  I  would  have  seen  you  this  morning  in  person,  but  sprained  my  foot 
last  night  so  badly  as  to  make  it  impossible  for  me  to  leave  the  house.  I 
have  directed  that  the  flag  on  the  Capitol  be  displayed  at  half-mast." 

From  W.  D.  Wood,  E.  H.  Pteynolds,  George  T.  McGehee,  Hammett  Hardy, 
Samuel  R.  Kane,  J.  V.  Henderson,  and  Sterling  Fisher,  San  Marcos,  Texas: 

"  The  South  mourns  to-day  as  mourns  the  family  when  a  link  in  the  chain 
is  broken.    Your  sorrow  is  our  own." 

From  J.  F.  Cecil,  Pickett-Buchanan  Camp  Confederate  Veterans,  Nor- 
folk, Va.: 

"We  venerate  the  memory  of  our  dead  President,  and  reverfently  tend 
you  our  deep  sympathy  in  your  great  grief." 

From  Bishop  Hugh  Miller  Thompson,  Jackson,  Miss. : 

"  My  sympathy  and  prayers  are  with  you. 

From  Henry  W.  Grady,  Esq.,  Atlanta  Ga. : 

"Please  accept  my  sincere  sympathy  in  your  bereavement.  Our  whole 
people  mourn  with  you  and  pray  that  God  may  bless  you  and  yours.'* 

From  President  W.  J^Garret,  West  A^iew  Cemetery  Companj',  Atlanta,  Ga.: 

"The  West  View  Cemetery  Company  renew  their  offer  to  you  in  Febru- 
ary last  through  IMr.  Sidney  Root,  and  beg  that  you  will  accept." 

From  Charles  C.  Jones,  Jr.,  President  Confederate  Survivors'  Association, 
Augusta,  Ga. : 

"The  members  of  the  Confederate  Survivors'  Association  of  Augusta,  Ga., 
crave  the  privilege  of  assuring  you  at  the  earliest  moment  of  their  profound 
sympathy  and  heartfelt  sorrow  upon  the  demise  of  your  illustrious  husband 
and  beloved  chief  and  the  venerated  President  of  the  Southern  Confed- 
eracy." 


HIS  STCKNESS  AND  DBA  TH.  483 

From  Dr.  J.  'William  Jones,  Atlanta,  Ga. : 

"  Warmest  sympathies  and  most  fervent  prayers.  Will  go  down  to-mor- 
row." 

From  C.  W.  Frazer,  President,  and  R.  J.  Block,  Secretary,  Historical  Asso- 
ciation, Memphis,  Tenn. : 

"The  Historical  Association  of  Memphis  tenders  its  sympathy  and  regrets 
at  the  great  loss  sustained  by  you  and  the  country  in  the  death  of  Mr.  Davis. 
This  association  begs  the  boon  of  bringing  his  honored  remains  here  for  burial , 
and  we  assure  you  and  the  country  that  his  grave  shall  be  kept  green 
through  the  coming  ages.  We  urge  this,  as  he  was  a  member  of  our  associ- 
ation, made  his  first  home  here  after  the  war,  and  was  dear  to  the  hearts  of 
this  community. 

From  Captain  John  D.  Adams,  Little  Rock,  Ark. : 

"My  wife  and  self  deeply  sympathize  with  you  in  this  greatest  aflB.iction 
that  could  befell  you.  We  all  deplore  the  death  of  your  precious  husband, 
who  was  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  a  great  and  good  man . 
The  whole  South  mourn  his  loss,  and  his  name  will  ever  have  a  warm  place 
in  the  hearts  of  those  he  leaves  to  follow  him." 

From  Marcus  Bernheimer,  Esq.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. : 

"Mingling  mine  with  the  sincere  grief  of  the  countless  admirers  and 
lovers  of  your  illustrious  husband,  I  beg  to  tender  to  you  and  family  heart- 
felt sympathy  in  this  your  hour  of  deepest  affliction." 

From  Hon.  W.  H.  Hardy,  New  York : 

"  I  and  my  household  mourn  with  you.    Accept  our  sincere  sympathy." 

Mr.  AVilliam  L.  Davis,  of  New  York,  expresses  his  loving  sympathy. 

From  General  W.  L.  Cabell,  Dallas,  Texas: 

"  Myself,  in  common  with  all  the  Confederates  in  Texas,  mourn  the  death 
of  your  illustrious  husband.  May  God  have  you  and  your  children  in  His 
keeping." 

From  W.  G.  AValler,  Esq.,  Richmond: 

"Accept  my  heartfelt  and  devoted  sympathy  in  your  deep  sorrow." 

From  Marco  and  Katie  Paolo,  Memphis,  Tenn.: 

"Our  hearts  follow  you  and  beat  in  tenderest  sympathy  with  you  in  this 
hour  of  your  daepest  sorrow.  We  pra}'  that  God  may  give  you  grace  to 
bear  your  cross  and  grant  that  the  soul  of  your  noble  and  illustrious  husband 
may  rest  in  peace." 

From  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  M.  Neely,  Memphis  : 

"  Please  accept  assurances  of  our  great  sorrow  and  heartfelt  sympathy." 

From  Sidney  Root,  Esq.,  Atlanta,  Ga.: 

"  My  Dear  Friend — God  bless  you  and  keep  you  in  this  sore  triaL  The 
whole  South  mourns  with  you." 

From  Senator  John  H.  Reagan,  Washington: 

"My  Dear  Friend — Myself  and  family  mourn  with  you  for  the  death  of 
your  distinguished  and  noble  husband  and  my  most  valued  friend.    In  the 


484  TITE  DAVIS  MEMOBIAL  VOLUME. 

hour  of  your  calamity,  you  have  the  affectionate  sympathy  of  millions  of 
loving  friends,  who  deplore  the  loss  of  the  true  friend,  the  earnest  Chris- 
tian, the  patriotic  citizen,  the  wise  statesman,  most  beloved  and  venerated 
by  a  large  part  of  the  American  people  for  his  self-sacrificing  devotion  to 
principle  and  to  duty.  INIay  God  protect  and  help  you  in  your  great  afSic- 
tion.    Command  me  always  if  I  can  serve  you." 

From  Governor  F.  P.  Flemmin^,  Tallahasse,  Fla. : 

"Permit  me  to  tender  my  sincerest  sympathies  in  the  great  affliction 
which  has  come  to  you.  The  people  of  the  South  mourn  with  you  in  this 
our  common  bereavement." 

From  General  Joseph  P.  Anderson,  Richmond,  Ya. : 

"jMy  wife  unites  with  me  in  love  and  sincere  sympathy  with  you  in  the 
loss  of  your  illustrious  husband.  His  life  was  the  illustration  of  the  talent 
and  virtue  that  ennobled  humanity." 

From  H.  W.  Grady,  Esq.,  Atlanta,  Ga. : 

"No  people,  would  hold  the  remains  of  your  illustrious  dead  in  deeper  or 
more  constant  reverence  than  the  people  of  Atlanta,  and  we  should  esteem 
it  the  highest  honor  to  have  them  in  Westview  Cemetery,  itself  a  battle- 
field on  which  his  soldiers  fought  and  fell." 

From  Swift  Galloway,  Commander,  Goldsboro,  N.  C. : 

"  Thomas  Puffin  Camp,  ex-Confederate  Veterans  of  Wayne  county.  North 
Caroiinia,  now  convened  to  pay  tribute  to  the  memory  of  your  illustrious 
husband,  beg  leave  to  express  their  profound  sympathy  and  to  mourn  with 
you  and  yours  in  the  sad  bereavement  which  has  befallen  you  in  the  death 
of  their  beloved  ex-President." 

From  Sidney  Eoot,  Esq.,  Atlanta,  Ga. : 

''If  you  and  your  f^imily  are  inclined  to  accept  the  offer  of  the  beautiful 
cemetery  in  this  city,  which  I  urgently  advise,  they  will  bring  all  the 
remains  of  your  children.  Perpetual  care  is  guaranteed  and  a  moument  will 
be  built." 

From  Edward  Piers,  president  Confederate  Veterans'  Association  of  Ala- 
bama ;  J.  T.  Holtzchaw,  pre.-ident  Muntgomery  Veterans'  Association ;  W. 
S.  Peese,  president  Alabama  Confederate  Monument  Association ;  Mrs.  M. 
D.  Ribb,  president  Ladies'  Memorial  Association;  Edmund  A.  Grahqim, 
Mayor ;  Thomas  II.  Watts,  ex-Attornoy-General  Confederate  States ;  Mont- 
gomery, Alabama : 

"  With  profound  sj'mpathy  and  condolence  in  your  great  bereavement,  and 
in  response  to  the  united  wishes  of  our  people,  we  earnestly  request  that 
you  allow  us  to  have  the  remains  of  Mr.  Davis  buried  here  under  the  Con- 
federate monument,  on  Capitol  Hill,  where  he  was  inaugurated  President, 
the  corner-stone  of  which  was  Ijvid  by  him,  and  which,  when  completed, 
will  be  ornamented  with  a  life-size  bronze  statue  of  him." 

From  Captain  Robert  E.  Park,  President  Riverside  Cemetery,  Macon,  Ga.: 

"The  Riveroide  Company  of  Macon  offer,  with  their  heartfelt  sympathy 


BIS  SICKNESS  AND  DEATH.  485 

ba  your  great  affliction,  the  best  and  most  conspicuous  burial  lot  in  their  ceme- 
tery, overlooking  Ocmulge  river  and  che  city  of  Macon.  We  have  an  endow- 
ment requiring  perpetual  care  o)  graves  and  lots,  and  it  is  laid  out  on  tlie 
lawn  plan.  The  grounds  are  beautiful,  undulating,  and  artificially  planted  a? 
one  harmonious  tlowcr  garden  on  a  lofty  eminence,  overlooking  the  river 
and  city,  and  adjacent  to  both  is  a  Confederate  redoubt  which  is  guaran- 
teed to  be  ])reserved,  and  we  offer  this  lovely  spot  as  a  fitting  burial  place 
for  Mr.  Davis  and  as  a  family  burial  lot.  The  lot  v.-ill  be  ornamented  with 
fountains  and  lakelets  and  the  entire  redoubt  or  fort  with  flowers,  as  directed 
by  yourself,  and  a  splendid  monument  will  be  erected  if  you  accept  our 
urgent  and  loving  offer.  We  will  gladly  bear  all  transportation  and  burial 
expenses,  and  will  send  an  escort  to  bring  the  body  to  Macon.  We  beg 
you  to  visit  Macon  and  remain  as  the  city's  guest." 

From  Senator  J.  C.  S.  Blackburn,  Washington,  D.  C: 

"  Every  true/son  of  the  South  shares  your  sorrow." 

From  ex-Confederate  Soldiers  Survivors'  Association  of  Northeast  Georgia, 
H.  H.  Carller,  president,  Ed.  D.  Newton,  secretary,  Athens,  Ga.: 

"  We  tender  our  heartfelt  sympathies  to  yourself  and  family  in  the  loss 
of  our  soldier-statesman  and  ex-Confederate  chieftain." 

From  Thomas  II.  Allen,  M.  C.  Galloway,  Thomas  N.  Allen,  H.  C.  Wellon, 
W.  H.  Calleen,  James  E.  Beasley,  Casey  Young,  ]M.  B.  Trezevant,  Memplais, 
Tenn.: 

"  We,  the  friends  of  our  ex-President,  join  in  expressions  of  sympathy 
with  a  united  South  generally,  and  the  citizens  of  Memphis  particularly, 
and  desire  to  add  their  earnest  request  to  that  of  the  Confederate  Histori- 
cal Association  of  this  city,  that  his  honored  remains  may  find  its  final 
resting  place  here  where  he  was  always  loved." 

From  Mayor  John  T.  Glenn,  Atlanta,  Ga.: 

"  The  West  View  Cemetery  Com])any  tenders  a  beautiful  lot  for  the  burial 
of  l\Ir.  Davis  and  his  family,  and  will  have  the  remains  of  any  of  his  chil- 
dren removed  to  it.  The  people  of  Atlanta  would  be  glad  to  have  the 
remains  of  your  illustrious  husband  rest  in  their  midst,  and  will  take  pride 
in  protecting  his  grave  in  the  future." 

From  Captain  J.  J.  Crossman  and  Eev.  A.  D. Sears,  Clarksville,  Tenn.: 

"A  public  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Clarksville  join  Forbes'  Bivouac  in 
tendering  to  you  and  yours  their  heartfelt  sympathies  in  the  hour  of  your 
affliction.  Our  peoi:)le  mourn  with  you  in  the  death  of  your  illustrious  hus- 
band and  our  ex-President,  and  shall  ever  cherish  the  memory  of  his 
invaluable  services  to  our  Soul  hern  land." 

From  Governor  Fitzhugh  Lee,  Bichmond,  Virginia: 

"The  sympathetic  cords  of  the  hearts  of  our  people  are  deeply  touched  at 
the  loss  of  one  we  have  ever  regarded  with  the  greatest  alToction,  and  the 
memory  of  Avhose  valor  and  virtue  we  will  ever  hold  sacred." 


486  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

From  Justice  L.  Q.  C.  Lamar,  Washington: 

"  The  whole  Southern  people  are  in  grief  over  the  death  of  their  great 
and  beloved  countryman,  and  their  sympathy  with  you  and  your  precious 
ones  is  deep  and  pervading.  Please  believe  that  what  I  feel  for  you  cannot 
be  told  in  words." 

From  J.  T.  Skipp,  commander,  J.  T.  Dickerson,  adjutant,  Chattanooga, 
Tenn.: 

"  For  many  days  we  have  eagerly  watched  the  bulletins  from  the  bedside 
of  our  late  chieftain,  sharing  your  anxiety  as  to  his  condition.  The  ray  of 
hope  that  gleamed  but  yesterday  filled  our  hearts  with  joy  commensurate 
with  your  own  unsolicited  letter  of  congratulations  for  Forest  Camp,  which 
scarcely  started  on  its  way  when  we  were  shocked  by  the  announcement  of 
his  death.  Our  heads  bowed  in  sorrow  and  our  hearts  ache  in  sympathy 
with  you  and  5'our  family  in  the  hour  of  your  bereavement,  that  is  shared 
in  our  whole  Southland." 

From  Mile^  Sells,  Esq.,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  to  J.  U.  Payne: 

"  In  the  loss  of  your  devoted  and  life-long  friend,  my  heart  goes  out  in 
deepest  sympathy  to  you  and  Mrs.  Davis,  with  an  assurance  of  my  profound 
sorrow  and  regret." 

From  Joseph  Boyce,  Esq.,  President,  St.  Louis,  Mo. : 

"The  members  of  the  ex-Confederate  Historical  and  Benevolent  Associa- 
tion of  St.  Louis  tender  you  their  deepest  sympathy.  The  memory  of  your 
illustrious  husband  will  always  be  fresh  in  our  hearts." 

From  Governor  Daniel  G.  Fowle,  Ealoigh,  N.  C. : 

"  North  Carolina  mourns  with  you  the  death  of  the  greatest  and  most 
beloved  of  the  sons  of  our  Southland." 

From  ex-Mayor  W.  S.  Ressee,  Montgomery,  Ala. : 

"  All  sons  and  daughters  of  Alabama  weep  with  you  and  j'ours." 

From  General  E.  C.  Walthall,  U.  S.  Senator,  Washington,  D.  C. : 

"The  whole  South  mourns  with  you.  Your  husband's  hold  upon  the 
affections  of  the  people  in  his  last  days  was  even  stronger  than  in  the  time 
of  bis  great  power." 

"Mr.  J.  IT.  Payne  received  a  dispatch  irom  ex-Governor,  Lubbock,  of 
Texas,  asking  when  Mif.  Davis  would  be  buried,  as  he  desired  to  attend." 

From  Governor  Robert  Lowry,  Jackson,  Miss. : 

"The  great  heart  of  Misiss'ippi  is  touched  by  the  death  of  her  best  beloved. 

"His  noble  nature  and  public  services  will  be  treasured  always  in  the 
memory  of  her  people. 

"  Accept  assurances  of  my  heartfelt  sympathy.  Your  bereavement  is  our 
bereavement,  and  may  the  merciful  God  comfort  you." 

From  Price  Williams,  President  Lee  Association,  Mobile: 
"President  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  : 

"Please  telegraph  me  when  the  funeral  of  Jefferson  Davis  will  take  place 
and  what  arrangements  will  be  made  for  delegations  of  military  and  citizens.'' 


i 


Mlis  SICKNESS  AND  DEA  TH.  487 

*'  The  necessary  response  was  wired  last  evening. 

*  Mr.  Edgar  H.  Farrar  received  a  telegram  from  the  mayor  of  Natchez, 
Miss.,  asking  for  explicit  information  regarding  the  time  of  funeral,  leading 
to  the  supposition  he  will  attend  with  the  Natchez  Council." 

PREPAEATIONS    FOR    THE    FUNERAL. 

From  the  full  reports  of  the  New  Orleans  papers  we  shall 
cull  or  condense  at  pleasure,  and  we  make,  in  advance,  this 
acknowledgment. 

"  In  order  that  proper  arrangements  might  be  made  for  the  funeral  the 
mayor  invited  the  following  prominent  gentlemen  to  meet  him  in  his  parlor 
at  noon  December  6,  to  confer  on  the  subject :  Francis  T.  Nicholls,  Charles 
Chaffe,  Louis  B^ush,  John  Dymond,  A.  K.  Miller,  R.  M.  Walmsley,  Esq.,  John 
G.  Devereus,  Esq.,  John  T.  Hardie,  Esq.,  Colonel  John  B.  Richardson,  Gen- 
eral Adolph  Meyer,  General  John  Glynn,  Jr.,  I.  H.  Stauflfer,  Esq.,  Hon.  Edward 
Bermudez,  Hon.  Walter  H.  Rogers,  Colonel  David  Zable,  General  A.  S.  Badger, 
Dr.  A.  W.  Smyth,  Hon.  T.  C.  W. Elli«, Hon.  Thomas  Agnew,  B.  M.  Harrod ,  Esq., 
Wright  Schaumberg,  Esq.,  Hon.  James  G.  Clark,  Jules  Tuyes,  Esq.,  Pierre 
Lanaux,  Esq.,  Ringgold  Brousseau,  Esq.,  Dr.  E.  E.  Souchon,  Dr.  A.  B.  Miles 
Rev.  Dr.  Markham,  Rev.  Father  Hubert,  Rev.  Dr.  I.  L.  Leucht,  Bishop 
Keener,  Bishop  J.  N.  Galleher. 

"  The  first  to  appear  was  Bishop  Galleher,  who  arrived  shortly  after  11 
o'clock. 

"  Justice  Fenner,  of  the  Supreme  Court,  at  whose  residence  Mr.  Davis 
passed  his  last  hours  on  earth,  and  Mr.  E.  H.  Farrar,  a  nephew  of  the 
deceased,  called  soon  after  the  bishop. 

"  Colonel  Wm.  Preston  Johnston,  who  was  aid-de-camp  to  Mr.  Davis,  came 
accompanied  by  State  Senator  Avery.  Colonel  Johnston  was  about  to  depart, 
but  prevailed  upon  to  remain,  having  been  on  the  President's  staff  and  also 
representing  the  Tulane  University. 

"  Mayor  Shakspeare,  Major  Wright  Schaumberg  and  Messrs.  Fenner  and 
Farrar  held  a  brief  consultation  before  the  meeting. 

"  When  the  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Mayor  Shakspeare,  the  fol- 
lowing gentlemen  were  present : 

"  Bishop  Galleher,  Justice  Fenner,  Colonel  Wm.  Preston  Johnston,  Father 
Hurbert,  Dr.  Miles,  A.  Ringgold  Brousseau,  Attorney- General  W.  H.  Rogers, 
P.  A.  Orr,  T.  M.  Wescott,  F.  Codnian  Ford  of  the  ]\Iechanics,  Dealers  and 
Lumber  Exchange;  Jules  Tiiyes,  president  New  Orleans  Insurance  Com- 
pany; State  Senator  Avery,  State  Assessor  James  Domoreulle,  Councilmen 
A.  Lrittin,  James  G.  Clark,  George  Lhoste  and  Frank  Hall ;  Army  of  Nor- 
thern Virginia — President  F.  S.  Washington,  Major  E.  D.  Willett,  Colonel 


488  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

David  Zable,  Fred.  A.  Ober;  "Washington  Artillery— Colonel  J.  B.  Richard- 
son, Colonel  Wm,  Miller  Owen,  and  Col.  T.  L  Bayne ;  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic— General  A,  S.  Badger,  deputy  collector  of  the  port  of  New  Orleans ; 
Army  of  Tennessee— A.  J.  Lewis,  W.  T.  Cluverius,  J.  B.  Vinet,  John  C<oos, 
Nick  Cunney,  A,  Boisblanc,  J.  B.  Wilkinson,  Jr.,  J.  H.  Duirgan ;  United  Vet- 
erans— J.  A.  Chalaron  ;  Sons  of  Veterana,  Army  of  Tennessee— Major  J. 
Numa  Augustin,  Percy  Campbell,  Lamar  C.  Quintero ;  Confederate  States 
Cavalry — Colonel  George  W.  Moorman,  D.  A.  Given,  J.  H,  Behan,  J.  H. 
Duggan,  T.  "W.  Castleman,  Wright  Schaumberg ;  Sons  and  Daughters  of  the 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia— W,.S.  McElroy  and  Charles  Smith,  Jr. ;  Presi- 
dent Delgado,  of  the  Sugar  Exchange ;  President  Chafie,  of  the  Cotton 
Exchange;  Judge  T.  C.  W.  Ellis,' Civil  District  Court;  President  A.  K.  Mil- 
ler, Maritime  Association  ;  Veterans'  Association— Messrs.  "Washington  and 
Given;  President  Louis  Bush,  Board  of  Trade;  Major  General  John  G. 
Glynn,  Jr.,  State  National  Guard;  Dr.  LeMonnier,  Army  Tennessee;  R.  M. 
"Walmsley,  President  Louisiana  National  Bank ;  Rabbi  I.  L.  Leucht,  Rev. 
Dr.  Mark  ham,  Judge  R.  H,  Marr,  Criminal  District  Court. 

"  There  were  many  other  prominent  gentlemen  present  who  were  lost  to 
view  in  the  large  assemblage. 

"  In  calling  the  meeting  to  order  Mayor  Shakspeare  addressed  the  assem- 
blage as  follows : 

"  Gentlemen— I  have  invited  you  as  representatives  of  the  South's  chief 
city,  to  meet  in  conference  foi'  the  jjurpose  of>  making  proi:>er  arrangements 
to  pay  the  last  sad  tribute  02  respect  to  him  who  was  in  his  generation  the 
foremost  man  in  all  the  South,  and  who  possessed  in  an  eminent  degree  the 
highest  public  and  private  virtues.  Of  a  necessity,  a  man  so  great  and  so 
aggressive  must  have  had  great  and  sometimes  bitter  opponents.  But  in  the 
presence  of  that  great  leveler  who  lays  at  last  the  shepherd's  crook  beside 
the  scepter,  political  animosities  and  differences  should  cease  and  all  be  ready 
to  pay  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  a  man  who  while  he  lived,  stood  forth  as 
one  of  nature's  masterpieces  and  who,  when  he  died  took  with  him  from 
the  earth  such  wealth  of  virtue  and  of  intellect." 

"  The  mayor  called  for  suggestions,  in  response  to  which  Captain  Lewis 
suggested  that  before  action  be  taken  Associate  Justice  Fenner  be  consulted 
regarding  the  wishes  of  Mrs.  Davis. 

"Associate  Justice  Fenner  arose,  and  with  deep  emotion,  speaking  feel- 
ingly, and  at  times  scarcely  above  a  whisper,  said : 

"  The  great,  strong,  gallant  heart  of  Jefierson  Davis  has  ceased  to  beat. 
His  soldierly  form,  clad  in  Confederate  gray,  lies  hard  by  in  your  midst 
His  family  and  friends,  who  have  done  what  lay  in  their  power  to  minister 
to  his  needs  and  to  soothe  his  last  hours,  recognize  the  justice  of  the  claim 
preferred  by  the  battle-scarred  veterans  of  the  legions  he  led  so  gallantly, 
and  by  the  citizens  summoned  by  your  honorable  mayor  as  representatives 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  FUNERAL.  48J) 

of  the  people  of  New  Orleans,  of  the  South,  to  take  into  their  care  the 
remains  of  the  honored  dea<l,  and  to  prepare  and  organize  those  public 
ceremonies  which  the  occasion  seems  to  demand. 

"  ]\Irs.  Davis  has  signified  her  desire  that  the  corpse  should  remain  in  her 
private  charge  to-day.  It  was  suggested  that  perhaps  committees  which 
would  be  appointed  by  the  veteran  associations  and  citizens'  committee, 
through  the  mayor,  would  designate  some  public  place  where  the  remains 
might  lie  in  state  to  receive  the  alTectionate  greeting  and  homage  of  his 
fellow-citizens.  It  has  also  been  suggested  that  it  might  be  well  that  the 
removal  to  that  place  be  made  quietly  and  unostentatiously  at  some  hour 
to-night,  and  the  public  be  notified  through  the  newspapers  as  to  the  place. 

"It  is  supposed  that  the  committees  will  take  such  steps  as  they  think 
meet  and  proper,  and  fix  a  day  and  place  for  the  temporary  interment  until 
permanent  disposition  of  the  remains  might  be  determined  on  j  also,  that 
the  order  and/^method  of  the  proceedings  be  fixed  so  that  the  people  of  the 
South  might  have  an  opportunity  to  pay  that  honor  to  one  who  was  ever 
true  to  them. 

"Captain  A.  J.  Lewis  moved  that  the  body  of  Mr.  Davis  be  transferred  to 
the  City  Hall  at  an  appropriate  hour  at  night,  there  to  lie  in  state  until 
Tuesday  at  12  o'clock  M.,  and  then  be  conveyed  to  its  temporary  place  of 
resting — the  tomb  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia.  The  veterans,  repre- 
sented by  several  committees,  had  discussed  this  question  earnestly  and 
seriously,  and  it  had  been  agreed  that  the  temporary  resting  place  should 
be  the  tomb  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia.  The  City  Hall  was  selected 
as  the  most  appropriate  place  for  the  remains  to  lie  in  state.  It  was  impossi- 
ble to  select  the  Washington  Artillery  Hall,  owing  to  circumstances  over 
which  that  command  has  no  control.  The  hall  has  been  leased  for  certain 
festivities. 

"The  programme,  as  laid  down  by  Captain  Lewis,  was  adopted  by  the 
meeting. 

"  Captain  Lewis  further  announced  that  telegrams  had  been  sent  to 
General  Gordon,  and  one  had  been  received  from  IMobile  and  Memphis, 
and  it  was  necessary  to  give  time  to  the  friends  and  admirers  of  Jefferson 
Davis  to  come  to  New  Orleans  tc  pay  respect  ^o  his  memory. 

"  Attorney- General  Kogers  said  that  there  were  many  preliminaries  to  be 
observed,  and  he  suggested  that  the  mayor  appoint  committees.  The  work 
would  have  to  be  performed  by  committees,  and  at  least  two  should  be 
appointed. 

"  Mayor  Shakspeare  informed  the  gentlemen  present  that  he  had  been 
called  up  at  such  an  early  hour  of  the  morning  that  it  was  impossible  for 
him  to  get  at  the  various  organizations  and  persons  who  should  have  been 
invited  to  the  meeting,  and  he  hoped  no  feeling  would  be  exhibited  by 
those  forgotten.  The  sad  news  had  been  conveyed  to  him  by  a  reporter, 
and  the  proclamation  had  been  written  hurriedly. 


490  TnE DAVm MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

"  Major  Schaumberg  suggested  the  appointment  of  an  executive  committee 
of  seven  members  to  take  charge  of  the  entire  affair,  that  committee  to 
appoint  such  sub-committees  as  it  might  see  fit.  Adopted. 
^"Attorney-General  Eogers  announced  the  presence  of  General  J.  G. 
Glynn,  commanding  the  'State  military  forces,  and  he  suggested  that  the 
mayor  officially  notify  the  governor  of  Louisiana  of  the  death  of  Hon.  Jef- 
ferson Davis,  so  that  he  might  take  such  action  as  might  be  deemed  neces- 
sary. 

"Major  Schaumberg,  the  secretary,  immediately  penned  a  letter  to  Gov- 
ernor Nicholls,  which  was  handed  to  General  Glynn  to  be  conveyed  to  the 
Governor.    The  letter  ran  as  follows : 

"'To  Governor  Francis  T.  Nicholh : 

"  'It  becomes  my  sad  duty  to  inform  you  of  the  death  in  this  city  last  night 
of  the  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis,  and  that  a  joint  committee  of  veterans  and 
citizens  hasbeen  formed  to  arrange  proper  means  of  paying  a  tribute  to  his 
memory. 

'"The  chairman  of  the  executive  committee  appointed  at  this  meeting  is 
Colonel  AVilliam  Preston  Johnston,  president  of  the  Tulane  University. 

* "  Very  respectfully, 

'  "  Joseph  A.  Shakspeaee,  INIayor,' 

"Judge  Rogers,  on  behalf  of  Colonel  Bush,  stated  that  Tuesday  was  too 
early  a  date  for  the  ceremonies,  and  the  time  was  changed  until  12  o'clock 
M.  Wednesday,  so  as  to  afford  non-residents  an  opportunity  of  reaching 
New  Orleans. 

"The  mayor  also  sent  a  telegram  to  the  Governor  of  every  one  of  the  for- 
mer Confederate  States,  as  follows : 

"'It  becomes  my  sad  duty  to  announce  to  you  and  your  people  the  death 
in  this  city  of  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis.  The  funeral  rites  will  be  held  here  on 
Wednesday,  11th  of  December,  at  noon.' 

"The  Mayor,  after  a  brief  consultation  with  gentlemen  assembled,  an- 
nounced the  executive  committee  as  follows : 

"Chairman,  Colonel  William  Preston  Johnston,  president  of  the  Tulane 
University ;  Captain  J.  A.  Chalaron,  United  Veterans ;  Colonel  J.  B.  Richard- 
son Washington  Artillery  j  Captain  Jacob  Grey,  Grand  Army  of  ihe  Repub- 
lic; Hon.  J.  G.  Clark,  City  Council;  Major  D.  A.  Given,  Veteran  Cavalry; 
Major  J.  Numa  Augustin,  Sons  of  Veterans ;  Captain  A.  J.  Lewis,  Army  of 
Tennessee ;  President  Frederick  S.  Washington,  Army  of  Northern  Virginia. 

"The  Council  chamber  was  assigned  for  the  reception  of  the  remains. 

"  Colonel  Richardson  announced  that  a  guard  of  honor  in  full  uniform 
from  the  Washington  Artillery  would  be  on  duty  at  the  City  Hall  and  watch 
over  the  remains. 

"This  ended  the  business  of  the  general  committee  and  the  meeting 
adjourned." 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  FUNERAL.  491 

To  the  energy  and  efficiency  of  this  executive  committee, 
aided  by  the  Veteran  Association  and  the  citizens  generally, 
was  due  in  no  small  degree  the  fact  that  the  preparations  for 
the  funeral  were  wisely  conceived  and  admirably  executed,  and 
the  final  arrangements  well  nigh  perfect. 

As  soon  as  the  death  of  Mr.  Davis  became  generally  known, 
the  citizens  began  to  drape  their  places  of  business ;  the  public 
buildings  w^ere  all  draped,  and  by  the  day  of  the  funeral  the 
whole  of  the  great  city  wore  emblems  of  mourning,  and  the 
draping  w^as  so  general  as  to  make  its  absence  an  occasion  of 
adverse  criticism.* 

"  The  council  chamber  was  profusely  and  fittingly  decorated  with  the  som- 
bre trappings/'bespeaking  the  gloom  that  dwelt  in  the  hearts  of  the  thou- 
Bands  to  whom  the  name  of  the  dead  chieftain  was  dear. 

"  It  was  midnight  before  the  decorations  in  the  City  Hall,  the  place  assigned 
for  the  remains  to  lie  in  state  until  Wednesday  at  noon,  when  they  will  be 
conveyed  to  their  temporary  resting  place,  the  tomb  of  the  Army  of  North- 
ern Virginia,  were  completed. 

"  President  of  the  Council  James  G.  Clark  was  assigned  the  duty  of  direct- 
ing the  decorations.  They  were  planned  by  him,  and  were  rapidly  carried 
into  effect  by  skillful  hands. 

"Broad  bands  of  black  crepe  encircle  the  ponderous  pillars  supporting  the 
alcove,  the  base  of  each  pillar  being  set  off  with  white  bunting.  The  wide 
door  giving  entrance  to  the  marble  hallway  has  been  profusely  adorned 
with  black,  the  streamers  reaching  from  base  to  dome. 

"Entering  the  marble  hallway,  which  extends  the  entire  length  of  the 
building,  the  hallway  is  found  to  have  been  draped  in  sable  cloth.  Bands 
of  black  are  festooned  to  the  ceiling,  extending  down  the  walls  to  the  mar- 
ble flooring.  The  doors  leading  to  the  various  departments  have  also  been 
draped  in  mourning. 

"The  Council  chamber  is  reached  through  the  marble  hallway.  It  hag 
been  turned  into  a  death-chamber,  in  the  centre  of  which  the  catafalque 
upon  which  rests  the  remains  has  been  erected.  It  is  a  simple  platform 
covered  with  black  cloth.  The  iron  railing  separating  the  catafalque  from 
the  lobby  has  also  been  covered  with  black. 

"  The  catafalque  is  a  square  twelve  by  twelve  feet  in  extent,  and  two  tiers 
of  steps  above  the  flooring.  A  pedestal  stands  upon  the  catafalque,  and 
upon  it  rests  the  casket,    Around  the  pedestal  ferns  ?.re  banked. 

"  The  windows  and  doors  have  been  heavily  draped,  as  well  as  the  cor- 
nice extending  around  the  room,  a  large  rosette  here  and  there  keep- 
ing the  black  in  position,  and  emphasizing  the  sombre  drapery.  The  walla 
have  been  draped  in  mourning. 


492  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

"  To  the  rear  of  the  catafalque  has  been  erected  a  slanting  stand  covered 
•with  black  and  crowned  with  floral  offerings.  The  background  of  this 
stand,  which  hides  from  view  the  desk  of  the  mayor  and  clerks,  contains 
floral  swords,  the  tribute  of  the  Confederate  Cavalry  Association,  crossed* 
with  the  United  States  and  the  Fourteenth  Louisiana  regiment  flags,  tattered 
and  shot-torn  in  many  fights,  crossed  above  the  regimental  colors,  a  flag  that 
followed  the  fortunes  of  the  Confederacy  from  its  birth  to  its  close.  Above 
the  flags  is  the  American  eagle  and  the  court  of  arms  of  the  United  States 
appropriately  draped  in  crepe. 

"To  each  side  of  this  are  the  large  portraits  of  ex-President  Harrison, 
'  old  Tippacanoe,'  and  Henry  Clay.  They  face  the  coffin,  are  draped  in  the 
American  colors,  and  aj^pear  to  be  gazing  upon  the  countenance  of  the  dead 
President. 

"  On  the  opposite  of  the  room  is  the  picture  of  Mr.  Davis,  heavily  framed 
in  black,  otlit  of  which  shine  electrical  sparks.  The  drapery  is  pufi'ed  and 
incandescent  lights  are  distributed  within  the  puffs,  producing  a  striking 
effect.  Thus  above  it  all  looks  down  the  counterfeit  presentment  of  the 
dead  chieftain,  '  Crowned  as  best  be  seen  a  warrior  from  the  order  of  his 
fame,'  with  the  flag  of  the  country  to  which  his  services  in  camp  and  field 
and  cabinet  had  added  so  much  lustre. 

"  Suspended  from  the  ceiling  over  each  corner  of  the  catafalque  are  drop- 
ping columns  of  black  entwined  with  ivy. 

"Shortly  after  10:30  o'clock  ColonelJ.  B.  Richardson,  of  the  "Washington 
Artillery,  brought  two  tweve-pound  bronze  mountain  howitzers  into  the 
Council  Chamber,  and  one  was  placed  on  either  side  of  catafalque,  adding 
considerably  to  the  military  character  of  the  scene." 

The  Washington  Artillery  was  given  the  j)ost  of  honor  as 
gnard  to  the  dead  chieftain,  and  details  from  the  Army  of  North- 
ern Virginia  Association,  and  from  the  Army  of  Tennessee, 
Association  were  also  in  constant  attendance  while  the  body 
was  lying  in  state. 

AT  THE  TENNER  MANSION. 

The  beautiful  picture  "  After  Death" — which  we  give  from  £. 
a  photograph  taken  at  the  time,  correctly  represents  the  calm 
repose  of  the  great  chieftain  as  he  lay  in  the  parlor  of  the; 
Fenner  mansion. 

We  will  not  parade  before  the  public  incidents  of  the  sacred 
grief  of  the  noble  woman  who  had  been  so  long  the  companion, 
and  helpmate,  and  who  had  watched  so  faithfully  at  the  bedside 


PREPA  RA  TTOm  FOR  TEE  FllNERA  L.  4n;? 

until  all  was  over.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  while,  of  course, 
plunged  into  the  deepest  grief,  she  had  been  too  long  accus- 
tomed to  sorrow,  and  had  passed  through  too  many  scenes  of 
bereavement  not  to  bear  this  one  with  the  Christian  fortitude 
which  has  ever  distinguished  her. 

From  an  early  hour  of  the  morning  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Davis, 
crowds  of  friends  began  to  call  at  the  house  bringing  offers  of 
service,  beautiful  flowers,  and  loving  Avords. 

The  following  incident  given  by  the  Times-Democrat  is  Avorth 
preserving : 

"  As  a  result  of  his  gracious  dignity,  ]\Ir.  Davis  never  came  in  contact  with 
a  menial  but  that  at  once  they  grew  devotedly  attaclied  to  him.  IMore  than 
once  have  fan"|f(ly  and  friends  quizzed  him  regarding  the  absorbing  love  of 
the  porters,  servants,  and  slaves  that  accident  threw  la  his  Avay.  Never  was 
a  man  more  loved  by  those  Avho  served  him,  and  this  was  peculiarly  notice- 
able among  the  negroes  he  owned  before  the  war.  One  of  the  most  afTect- 
ing  incidents  connected  with  the  death,  was  the  arrival  and  grief  of  this  old 
negro,  a  former  slave  of  Mr.  Davis'  brother,  the  late  Joe  Davis. 

"  For  a  number  of  years  Miles  Cooper,  a  decrepit  colored  man  has  sent 
from  his  present  home  in  Florida,  little  tokens  in  the  way  of  fruits  raised  by 
his  own  hands  for  the  hospitable  Beauvoir  table.  Through  the  local  press, 
Miles  heard  of  Mr.  Davis's  extreme  illness,  and,  putting  every  personal  inter- 
est and  comfort  aside,  hastened  to  see  the  master  he  loved.  Unused  to 
travelling,  aged  and  uncertain  in  his  movements  the  ungefish  servant  again 
and  again  missed  ct)nnection  in  the  short  trip,  was  delayed,  left  behind,  and 
put  to  every  possible  annoyance  and  inconvenience.  Finally  he  arrived, 
and  full  of  pleasant  anticipations,  hurried  up  to  look  once  more  in  those 
kindly  eyes  and  feel  the' cordial  grasp  of  tliat  genial  hand.  Reaching  the 
residence,  all  stilled  as  it  was  surrounded  by  an  atmosphere  of  death,  the 
servant  learned  of  Mr.  Davis's  death  the  niglit  previous.  It  was  more  than 
he  could  bear  and  breaking  down  with  an  outburst  of  deep  grief.  Miles  sat 
crusljed  and  hopeless,  only  asking  the  one  favor  to  be  admitted  to  the  pres- 
ence of  his  master.  Every  one,  save  the  family,  had  been  denied  entrance, 
but  Mr.  Farrar,  at  Mrs.  Davis's  request,  led  the  way,  and  soon  the  ex-slave 
stood  face  to  face  with  the  noble  dead.  It  was  pitiful  to  hear  the  sobs  and 
wails  of  the  old  man.  lie  mourned  with  unafiected  grief  for  the 'Mars 
Jeff'  of  his  youth,  and  prayed  earnestly  for  the  Avelfare  of  those  he  left 
behind." 

The  grief  of  the  venerable  Mr.  J.  U.  Payne,  the  life-long 
friend  of  Mr.  Davis,  was  very  touching. 


thjs  da  vis  memobial  vol  UM£. 


REMOVAL  OF  THE  BODY. 

The  Picayune  gives  the  following  deeply  interesting  details : 

"Yards  of  mourning  material  caught  up  and  festooned  with  artistic 
taste;  flowers  wrought  into  every  variety  of  fancy  figure ;  pictures  draped 
in  black;  heavy  cannon;  torn  and  tattered  Southern  battle  flugs  side  by 
side  with  the  stars  and  stripes;  a  throng  of  people  who  stood  with  uncov- 
ered heads  in  reverential  respect  for  the  dead ;  stacked  rifles  and  soldiers 
on  guard  were  the  scenes  of  special  incident  at  the  City  Hall  last  night  that 
mutely  told  of  the  death  of  the  great  Southern  soldier,  statesman  and 
patriot,  and  the  love  a  devoted  people  bore  for  him.  It  was  a  silent,  solemn 
tribute  to  a  gallant  soldier  in  the  early  war  of  the  Union  with  Mexico,  to 
an  able  Secretary  of  War,  to  a  noted  figure  on  the  floor  of  the  United  States 
Senate,  and  tQ  the  revered  leader  of  the  Lost  Cause. 

"When  the  carpenters  and  the  decorators  finished  their  task  the  City  Hall 
presented  a  harrl-ome  appearance.  President  James  G.  Clark  of  the  coun- 
cil, and  Major  Wright  Schaumberg  spent  the  entire  evening  in  supervising 
the  work  of  transforming  the  building  into  a  home  of  death. 

"  The  decorations  were  not  elaborate.  They  were  simple  and  appropriate. 
Around  the  massive  granite  columns  supporting  the  pediment  and  cornice 
heavy  black  clolh  was  wound,  relieved  at  the  top  by  just  the  slightest 
touches  of  intertwined  white  and  black  calico. 

"  The  perspective  of  the  hall  is  a  showy  festooning  of  black.  Drapery  fell 
from  the  rafters  to  the  sides,  the  entire  length  of  the  hall,  and  the  doors  lead- 
ing into  the  chamber  of  death  are  hung  with  heavy  curtains  that  usher  the 
mourner  into  the  hall  where  the  distinguished  dead  lies  in  state. 

"  The  interior  of  the  Council  Chamber  is  suggestive  of  the  deepest  mourn- 
ing.   The  gorgeous  wall  paper  is  hidden  by  the  sombre  colors  of  death. 

"  Heavy  black  tapestry  runs  down  the  sides  of  the  window  frames  and 
around  the  wall^ and  the  inner  railing  is  concealed  from  view.  From  the 
ceiling  just  above  the  catafalque  are  hanging  mourning  columns  twined  with 
ivy. 

"  The  two  massive  pictures  that  hang  on  either  side  of  the  mayor's  desk, 
the  one  of  Henry  Clay  and  the  other  of  W^illiam  Henry  Harrison,  have 
been  tastefully  draped  and  hung  with  the  national  colors.  The  clerk's  and 
mayor's  desk  has  been  entirely  shut  out  from  view  by  a  stand  that  is  cov- 
ered with  black  cloth  and  filled  with  chrysanthemums,  immortelles  and  other 
rare  flowers.  Above  the  desk  are  crossed  colors.  One  is  a  regular  Ameri- 
can flag  and  the  other  is  the  torn  and  tattered  ensign  that  the  Fourteenth 
Louisiana  carried  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  war,  and  which  Mr. 
Davis  held  in  his  hand  on  the  occasion  of  the  last  Confederate  reunion. 

"Just  above  these  flags  is  a  huge  golden  eagle,  appropriately  draped. 
Beneath,  crossed  swords  are  suggestive  of  heroic  epochs  in  the  life  of  the  sol- 


HEM  OVAL  OF  THE  BODY.  49o 

dier  cold  in  death.  A  crown  and  a  crescent  complete  the  figure.  On  the 
rear  wall  of  the  chamber  hangs  a  portrait  of  Mr.  Davis.  It  is  ])l:iced  within 
a  frame  of  mourning,  from  which  a  myriad  of  electric  lights  brightly  sparkle. 

"The  catafalque  is  in  the  centre  of  the  chamber.  It  is  two  steps  high, 
'trimly  and  strongly  built,  and  finished  in  black.  The  trusses  rest  on  a  fluflFy 
rug,  and  the  casket  is  placed  with  the  head  of  the  dead  statesman  toward 
Carondolet  street.  Immediately  inside  the  railing,  pointing  directly  toward 
the  coffin,  stand  two  heavy  twelve-pound  howitzers  of  the  Washington  Artil- 
lery, forming  an  appropriate  feature  of  the  decorations. 

"While  the  finishing  touches  were  being  put  to  the  decorations  of  the 
hall,  leading  citizens,  representing  every  walk  of  private  and  professional 
life,  visited  the  hall,  inquired  about  the  arrangements  for  the  funeral,  talked 
over  the  virtues  of  the  deceased,  and  mourned  in  unison  the  death  of  the 
man  who  was  once  the  ruler  of  millions  of  people,  and  one  of  the  foremost 
characters  in  American  history. 

"The  veteran  associations  of  the  city  recognized  in  the  battalion  of  the 
Washington  Artillery  the  only  veteran  military  command  still  maintaining 
its  military  organization,  and  at  once  accepted  Lieutenant-Colonel  J.  B.  Rich- 
ardson's tender  of  the  battalion  as  a  guard  of  honor  and  escort. 

"  Last  night,  at  10:30  o'clock,  the  Washington  Artillery  marched  to  the 
City  Hall,  and  when  the  carpenters  and  decorators  had  finished,  word  was 
sent  to  theFenner  mansion  that  everything  was  in  readiness  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  body. 

"It  was  just  midnight  when  tlie  word  was  passed  along  the  line  that  the 
remains  had  reached  the  hall,  and,  though  the  hour  was  late,  a  crowd  that 
blocked  the  rear  of  the  chamber  and  filled  the  corridor  was  present.  The 
troops  presented  arms,"the  officers  uncovered,  a  detachment  of  three  officers 
in  charge  of  Corporal  Cooper  marched  down  the  hall,  and  the  pall-bearers, 
carrying  the  rich  casket,  passed  through,  and  the  coffin  was  deposited  on  the 
catafalque,  where  it  will  rest  until  it  is  removed  to  its  temporary  tomb  of 
interment  on  Wednesday. 

"The  upper  lid  was  removed  and  the  body  and  the  jjale,  thin  features, 
forever  chilled  in  death,  were  exposed  to  view  to  the  crowd  in  waiting. 
The  battle-flag  of  the  Fifth  Company  of  the  Washington  Artillery  and  a 
crossed  Spanish  dagger,  with  a  sheaf  of  wheat,  was  placed  on  the  casket. 

"  The  Washington  Artillery  representatives  present,  besides  the  command- 
ing officers,  were  Captains  E.  I.  Kursheedt,  adjutant ;  C.  L.  Dupuy,  ordnance 
oflicer;  J.  II.  DeGrange,  quartermaster.  Lieutenant  H.  N.  Baker  and  Ser- 
geant-Major  William  AVhitney  Crane.  The  guard  was  furnished  from  the 
famous  Battery  B,  commanded  by  Captain  Eugene  May  and  Lieutenants 
George  W..  Booth  and  J.  J.  Hooper. 

"  Here  is  the  guard  of  honor  furnished  last  night  from  Battery  B :  Sergeants 
Fred.  Kornbeck,  H.  K.  George,  B.  F.  Burnet,  J.  Atcheson ;  Corporals  R.  G. 
Kichardson  and  E,  L.  Dickerson;  Privates  W.  W.  Carter,  W.  H.  Cook,  A. 


406  THE  DA  VIB  MEMOniA  L  VOL  UME. 

Coste,  H.  Clark,  B.  L.  Cole,  J  H.  Cohen,  T.  F.  Eyrich,  G.  Eyrich,  H.  F.  Fos- 
ter,  William  Gardner,  G.  F.  Holder,  and  Edw.  Stafford. 

"  Battery  B  "will  be  relieved  by  Battery  C,  Captain  H.  M.  Isaacson  com- 
loanding  at  8  to-night,  and  Captain  E.  M.  Underbill,  with  Battery  A,  wiU 
come  on  duty  Sundav  evening. 

"  When  all  those  present  had  gazed  on  the  features  of  Mr.  Davis,  the 
chambei  was  cleared,  and  the  soldiers  were  left  alone  in  their  nightly  vigil 
with  the  distinguished  dead. 

"  The  body  will  lie  in  state  from  10  A.  M.  to  10  P.  ]\L  every  day  and  night 
until  the  day  of  the  funeral.  The  public  will  be  admitted  at  the  St.  Charles 
street  entrance,  pass  through  the  hall,  enter  the  chamber  where  the  body 
lies,  and  then  make  its  exit  through  the  rear  entrance  at  the  back  of  the 
City  Hall,  on  Lafayette  street." 

THE  CAUSE  OF  HIS  DEATH. 

"  Justice  Fenner,  in  speaking  in  the  Council  Chamber  of  Mr.  Davis's  death, 
said  : 

" '  Mr.  Davis  had  been  ill  for  a  week  before  he  arrived  in  this  city.  Passed 
without  proper  opportunity  for  relief,  the  loss  of  this  precious  time  militated 
against  his  recovery.  He  was  already  greatly  weakened  and  his  powers  of 
resistence  to  disease  were  impaired. 

'' '  During  the  first  week  after  his  arrival  he  was  considered  by  all  to  be  in 
a  dangerous  condition,  but  after  that  careful  nursing  and  the  skill  of  his  able 
physicians,  seemed  to  have  conquered  disease  and  to  have  left  for  solution 
only  the  problem  of  his  capacity  to  recuperate.  Although  his  system  did 
not  respond  in  the  rai;)id  improvement  desired,  yet  up  to  Thursday  evening 
there  was  every  ground  for  hope  of  his  recovery.  Then  came  the  sudden 
congestive  chill,  the  history  of  which  is  known,  and  which  was  followed  by 
his  speedy  dissolution. 

"  *  From  thg  first  Mr.  Davis  was  despondent  as  to  his  chances  of  recovery, 
but  he  was,  at  all  times,  patient  and  otherwise  cheerful;  always  ready  to 
greet  the  familiar  faces  whicli  saluted  him  daily;  often  indulging  in  the 
kindly  humor  which  characterized  him,  disposed  to  converse  more  than 
"was  permitted  to  him  under  the  advice  of  his  attending  physicians. 

"'The  suddenness  of  his  relapse,  followed  by  stupor  and  partial  want  of 
consciousness,  deprived  his  famil}'  and  friends  of  the  opportunity  of  invit- 
ing or  hearing  any  expression  of  his  last  wishes  or  sentiments.  Death 
approached  graciously  and  attended  by  little  suffering.  He  simply  breathed 
at  first  with  rapid  difficult  I'espirations,  becoming  toward  the  end  slower  and 
slower  with  longer  intervals,  until  at  last  the  recurring  gasp  so  anxiously 
looked  for  by  the  loving  eyes  that  viewed  upon  him,  failed  to  come,  and 
Jefferson  Davis  was  deadl' 


CA  USES  OF  HIS  DEA  TH.  497 

"  Dr.  Stanford  E.  Cbaille,  who  was  one  of  the  late  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis'a 
physicians  during  his  fatal  illness,  was  seen  at  his  residence  by  a  reporter. 

"  He  said  that  he  had  been  the  family  physician  of  Mr.  Davis  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  and  that  the  deceased  was  a  warm  personal  friend  of  his.  In 
answer  to  a  query  as  to  the  health  of  Mr.  Davis  for  the  past  few  years,  the 
doctor  stated  that  he  had  been  afflicted  with  chronic  bronchitis  and  chronic 
indigestion. 

"  In  giving  the  history  of  the  fatal  sickness,  Dr.  Cbaille  said  that  he  had 
been  in  attendance  twenty  daj's  before  the  lamentable  end  came.  He  gave 
as  the  cause  of  death, Mr.  Davis's  chronic  diseases  coupled  with  malaria  fever 
and  old  age.  The  malaria  was  no  doubt  greatly  aggravated  by  Mr.  Davis, 
being  exposed  to  the  cold  in  going  to  his  plantation  about  three  weeks  ago. 

'"At  no  time,' Dr.  Cbaille  said,  'did  I  feel  sure  of  his  recovery,  and 
would  only  say  that  I  thought  the  chances  were  in  his  favor.  Thursday, 
however,  when  his  digestion  broke  down  entirely  I  gave  up  all  hope  of  hia 
recovery.  At  no  time,  till  Thursday,  did  any  of  the  symptoms  of  disease 
indicate  a  fatal  issue.' 

" '  Prior  to  Thursday,'  ^Dr.  Cbaille  said,  *  that  which  rendered  the  issue 
doubtful  was  his  debility,  old  age  and  inability  to  take  proper  nourishment.' 

"  In  answer  to  an  inquiry  as  to  the  health  of  Mrs.  Davis  Dr.  Cbaille  stated 
that  she  was  entirely  overcome  with  grief  at  the  death  of  a  loving  husband 
with  whom  she  had  spent  forty  years  of  wedded  happiness,  but  that  the  shock 
had  no  serious  results. 

"Dr.  Charles  J.  Bickham,  the  physician  Dr.  Cbaille  called  in  shortly  after 
Hon.  Jefferson  Davis  arrived  in  New  Orleane,  w'as  seen  at  his  residence 
by  a  reporter  last  night.  He  stated  that  he  had  never,  pre^dou3  to  the  late 
fatal  sickness,  treated  Mr.  Davis,  and  consequently  did  not  know  much 
about  his  physical  condition  prior  to  the  fatal  attack.  He  said,  in  summing 
up  the  case  briefly,  that  acute  bronchitis  was  the  exciting  cause  of  death, 
while  the  predisposing  cause  was  chronic  bronchitis,  age,  insufiicient  nutri- 
tion on  account  of  the  delicacy  of  his  stomach,  and  suffering  probably 
from  malaria  before.  'From  the  beginning  of  the  fatal  illness,'  Dr.  Bick- 
ham said,'  neither  Dr.  Cbaille  nor  myself  were  buoyant  regarding  Mr.  Davis's 
recover}'.  ]Mr.  Davis  seemed  to  foresee  the  end,  and  if  asked  how  he  felt^ 
even  when  not  in  pain,  he  would  say, '  I  feel  as  though  I  were  going  down, 
down,  down.'  This  state  of  the  mind  had  considerable  effect  on  our  patient, 
for  the  mental  faculties  have  a  great  effect  on  a  patient. 

"  It  was  learned  from  Dr.  Bickham  that  Mr.  Davis  had  never  been  better 
during  his  sickness  than  he  was  for  two  or  three  days  previous  to  Thursday. 
'A  distressing  feature  in  the  illness,'  said  Dr.  Bickham,  'was  Mr.  Davis'a 
great  loathing  of  food.  And,  when  he  did  take  nourishment,  it  did  not 
seem  to  strengthen  him  or  the  blood  supply  as  would  be  expected.  This,  of 
course,  was  due  to  the  weak  condition  of  his  stomach.    If  he  had  had 

82 


498  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

strength  enough  he  would  have  resisted  the  chill  that  proved  fatal  Thursday 
night.' 

"  In  answer  to  a  question  Dr.  Bickham  said :  '  He  never  rallied  after  being 
seized  with  the  chill,  which  was  probably  easily  brought  on  in  consequence 
of  the  malaria  in  the  system.' 

"During  the  entire  sickness,  although  Mr.  Davis  seemed  confident  of  his 
death,  he  was  resigned  and  showed  no  signs  of  dread  of  the  approaching 
end." 

LYING  IN    STATE. 

'  "  From  10  o'clock  Saturday  morning,  December  7th,  the  hour  appointed 
for  throwing  the  City  Hall  open  to  the  public,  the  central  point  of  interest 
in  this  city  was  the  large  lofty  Council  Chamber  in  the  rear  of  the  building, 
where  the  dead  statesman  and  ex-President  of  the  Confederacy  lay  in  state. 
The  sombre  mourning  decorations  that  draped  the  heavy  fluted  columns 
supporting  the  alcove,  fittingly  introduced  the  sympathetic  crowds  into  the 
splendid  marble  hallway,  the  ceiling,  and  upper  walls  of  which  were  a 
fluttering  mass  of  festooned  crepe.  Passing  through  the  darkened  corridor 
each  visitor  paused  before  the  chamber  of  death,  to  be  directed  by  the  police 
officers  and  aged  veterans  guarding  the  entrance,  to  go  quietly  through,  pass 
the  remains  and  so  on  out  by  the  other  door. 

"  Until  after  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  decorators  were  busily  com- 
pleting their  work,  retouching  draperies  and  finishing  elaborate  arrange- 
ments of  the  handsome  mourning  stuff's  used.  As  an  entirety,  the  apart- 
ment presented  an  impressive  appearance,  affecting  those  who  pass  under 
the  heavy  black  portiers  with  the  deep  solemnity  of  the  occasion.  Admir- 
able taste  and  a  keen  sense  of  fitness  has  evidently  dictated  the  planning 
and  execution  of  the  whole. 

"Against  the  densely  black  background  of  the  east  end  of  the  Council 
Chamber  have  been  placed  the  floral  offerings  received,  with  large  boxes  of 
loose  cut  flowers  filling  the  air  with  their  fragrance.  Some  of  the  tributes 
are  wonderfully  handsome,  although  they  in  no  way  represent  the  wealth 
of  blossoms  to  come  later  on. 

"The  funeral  being  set  for  Wednesday,  it  is  improbable  that  the  offerings 
will  begin  to  be  received  in  numbers  before  Monday  afternoon.  In  three 
corners  of  the  apartment  the  burnished  muzzles  of  the  bronze  mountain 
howitzers  shine  and  reflect  the  long  lines  of  light  cast  from  the  great  cen- 
tral chandelier,  shedding  a  flood  of  illumination  above  the  casket.  Stacked 
arms  add  to  the  military  appearance  of  the  arrangements,  further  enhanced 
by  the  stern,  soldier-like  guards  stationed  at  intervals  about  the  chamber. 

"Fully  10,000  persons  passed  the  casket  containing  the  remains  of  Mr. 
Davis  Friday.  The  scene  during  the  entire  day  and  night  was  an  im- 
pressive one.    The  Washington  Artillery  guard  of  honor  kept  watch  over 


I 


LYING  tN  STATE.  499 

the  casket,  while  beside  it  at  the  head  stood  a  maimed  veteran,  an  inmate 
of  the  Soldiers'  Home. 

''The  door  of  the  mortuary  room  was  not  opened  to  tlie  public  until  10 
o'clock.  A  large  crowd  stood  in  the  corridor  of  the  building  and  on  the 
marble  stairs  leading  thereto,  awaiting  the  opening  of  the  doors,  to  get  a 
glimpse  at  the  features  of  the  dead  President  of  the  Confederacy. 

"  In  the  throng  stood  persons  j^oung  and  old,  male  and  female,  white  and 
colored  and  of  all  nationalities.  They  realized  the  solemnity  of  the  occa- 
sion and  conversed  in  tones  barely  above  a  whisper. 

"At  the  large  doorway  leading  to  the  ^larble  Hall,  which  is  heavily 
draped  in  mourning,  stood  Police  Corporal  Cooper,  who  quietly  arranged  tlie 
throng  into  line  to  permit  them  to  enter  the  room  in  single  file.  It  .vas 
arranged  to  have  the  visitors  enter  the  Council  Ciiamber  from  the  opening 
through  which  the  councilmen  pass  into  the  chamber,  mount  the  steps  of 
the  catafalque^ pass  beside  the  coffin,  and  leave  the  room  through  the  iron 
gateway  in  the  centre  of  the  railing  which  separates  the  Council  Chamber 
proper  from  the  lobby,  and  through  the  lobby  down  the  Lafayette  entrance, 
which  was  used  as  an  exit.  Thus  the  visitors  entered  the  building  on  St. 
Charles  street  and  made  their  exit  on  Lafayette  street. 

"  President  of  the  Council  James  G.  Clark  arrived  at  the  hall  early,  an  1  at 
10  o'clock,  the  appointed  hour,  he  ordered  the  doors  opened. 

"  Then  the  line  began  to  move,  and  ajiurried  look  was  cast  upon  the  f.ice 
of  the  illustrious  dead.  The  line  moved  with  slow-measured  tread,  and 
this  was  kept  up  until  10  o'clock  at  night,  when  the  doors  were  closed. 

"Among  the  first  to  view  the  remains  was  General  George  W.  Jones.  Ho 
came  in  accompanied  by  Private  Nobles  of  the  Louisiana  Field  Artillery. 
The  venerable  soldier,  the  lifelong  friend  of  the  dead  President,  took  his 
place  in  the  line.  Stopping  beside  the  casket  he  gazed  upon  the  features  of 
the  dead,  and  tears  dropped  from  his  eyes  upon  the  glass  cover.  With 
bowed  head  he  left  the  room.  "When  he  reached  the  hallway  his  hand- 
kerchief went  to  his  eyes.    Wiping  away  tears,  he  said, 'My  dear  friend.' 

"  The  general's  grief  afiected  all  those  who  stood  near  him.  '  I  want  to  see 
Colonel  Schaumberg,  whose  father  was  my  friend,'  said  the  general,  and  he 
was  escorted  to  the  mayor's  parlor,  where  Colonel  Schaumberg  was  engaged 
with  matters  connected  with  the  ceremonies. 

"  As  he  walked  up  to  the  colonel's  desk  the  general's  greeting  was : 
'Wright,  my  boy,  don't  you  know  me?' 

"  Colonel  Schaumberg  replied,  'No;  I  hardly  think  I  do.' 

"  I  am  Jones,  your  father's  friend.  Mr.  Davis,  your  flither  and  myself 
were  college-mates  at  Transylvania.  The  two  clasped  hands,  and  the  gen- 
eral continued,  with  deep  emotion, '  Yes ;  we  were  classmates ;  your  father, 
Jeft.  Davis,  and  I,  and  thus  I  meet  the  son  of  him  who  has  gone  long  before, 
and  the  other  now  lying  cold  in  death.' 


m  T£tE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLXJMS, 

"  The  scene  was  a  very  aflFecting  one,  and  there  were  few  dry  eyes  in  the 
room.  After  a  lengthy  conversation  with  Colonel  Schaumberg  about  his 
family  and  personal  afiiiirs,  General  Jones  looked  at  the  oil  paintings  which 
adorn  the  walls.  Gazing  upon  the  likeness  of  Zachary  Taylor,  the  general 
exclaimed :  *Zach.  Taylor.  I  knew  him  well.  I  fought  under  him  and  have 
slept  in  the  same  tent  with  him.'    The  general  then  departed. 

"  Commodore  Hunter  of  the  Confederate  States  Navy,  was  in  line  and 
viewed  the  remains  shortly  after  General  Jones.  The  Commodore  took  a 
hurried  look  and  slowly  moved  on.  He  was  deeply  affected,  but  did  not 
utter  a  word. 

"  Many  old  ladies  clad  in  deep  mourning  viewed  the  remains.  Host  of 
them  sent  sons  or  husbands  to  the  front  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  and 
never  saw  them  again. 

"  Oile  of  these  was  a  feeble  tottering  figure  whose  gray  hair  and  sombie 
dress  and  eighty-four  years  of  age  at  once  arrested  attention.  She  leaned 
over  the  casket  a  face  that  worked  emotionally  as  if  sad  memories  swept 
over  her.  Her  last  visit  to  these  halls  was  when  Butler  occupied  them,  and 
her  footsteps  led  through  lines  of  blue  uniforms  and  muskets  that  glistened 
with  bayonets.  Her  present  one  was  to  shed  a  tear  over  the  body  of  her 
lifetime  friend.  She  was  the  wife  of  Rev.  J.  T.  Wheat,  of  Memphis,  in 
whose  church  Mr.  Davis  was  senior  warden.  Lulled  into  delaying  an  antici- 
pated visit  to  Mr.  Davis  by  the  favorable  reports  of  his  condition,  she  did 
not  leave  her  home  in  Salisbury,  N.  C,  in  earlier  time  than  to  reach  here 
Thursday  noon.  That  night  she  called  at  his  residence,  and  was  told  Mr. 
Davis  was  too  ill  to  be  seen. 

"  The  next  morning  his  old  friend  read  that  he  was  dead.  She  faltered  in 
the  hallway  as  she  departed  from  where  the  body  lay,  and  seemed  overcome 
by  her  harrowed  feelings.  Sergeant-at-arms  of  the  city  council,  John  Hur- 
ley, standing  near  by,  supported  her  with  his  one  arm  and  strong  frame. 
In  apology  for  her  weakness  she  said  her  name  was  "Wheat,  and  her  son 
had  held  a  commission  from  Jefferson  Davis.  He  was  Colonel  Robert  0. 
Wheat,  of  the  Louisiana  Tigers.  'Ah!  madam,  I  remember  him  well,' 
replied  big-hearted  Hurley,  '  I  lost  my  arm  the  same  day  he  was  killed.' 

"  A  large  number  of  citizens  from  Mississippi  were  in  line,  but  the  line 
moved  so  rapidly  that  it  was  impossible  to  learn  who  they  were.  A  number 
of  colored  citizens  from  Mississippi  who  had  been  slaves  of  Mr  Davis, 
formed  part  of  the  line,  and  spoke  in  the  highest  praise  of  their  dead  mas- 
ter. One  of  them  wept  as  he  looked  at  the  face  of  the  dead  man.  He  gave 
his  name  as  William  Samford,  of  Vicksburg,  and  said  that  he  had  come  to 
the  city  to  pay  his  last  tribute  to  his  old  master.  'That  I  loved  him  this 
shows,  and  I  can  say  that  every  colored  man  whom  he  ever  owned  loved  him. 
He  was  a  good,  kind  master.' 

A  lady  passed  along  with  the  line  with  a  four-year-old  child,  which  she 
bfted  up  to  look  at  the  corpse.    As  she  reached  the  hall-way  her  handker- 


L  YINQ  IN  ST  A  TE.  501 

chief  went  up  to  her  eyes.  She  answered  a  reporter,  who  asked  if  she  knew 
Mr,  Davis,  by  saying  r 

"'Oh,  no,  sir,'  she  answered,  'but  I  realized,  looking  upon  that  kind, 
fatherly  face,  so  still  and  tranquil  in  death,  how  much  the  Southern  people 
loved  him,  and  I  could  not  help  crying.  My  father  and  some  of  my  kin 
were  in  the  war  with  him,  and  this  sight  of  the  dear  old  chief,  so  still  and 
white,  was  too  much  for  me,  and  makes  me  think  of  my  own  people  who 
went  to  war  and  never  returned.' 

"  Rabbi  I.  L.  Leucht,  accompanied  by  a  number  of  ladies,  was  among  the 
callers. 

"  The  Confederate  flag,  which  plays  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  decorations, 
was  much  admired.  Some  of  those  present  had  never  seen  one.  The  bat- 
tle-worn flas  of  the  Fourteenth  Louisiana  brought  back  recollections  of  the 
war  to  the  mind  of  many  a  veteran. 

"  Mr.  E.  H.  FaJ'rar  called  on  the  mayor  yesterday  afternoon,  and  stated  that 
it  was  desired  to  have  Mr.  Davis's  sword,  which  he  carried  through  the 
Black  Hawk  war,  placed  in  the  Council  Chamber.  It  was  at  Beauvoir,  and 
Mrs.  Davis  feared  that  it  might  be  lost  if  brought  by  express.  The  mayor 
at  once  instructed  Chief  Hennessey  to  detail  a  special  officer  to  go  to  Beau- 
voir and  bring  the  sword  to  the  city.    The  messenger  left  last  evening. 

"  James  Lewis,  who  is  looked  upon  as  a  leader  of  the  colored  citizens  of 
New  Orleans,  called  upon  the  mayor  and  had  a  conversation.  The  mayor 
told  him  to  tell  his  people  that  the  City  Hall  was  open  to  all,  no  cards  of 
admission  were  needed,  and  that  the  public  generally  was  invited  to  view 
the  remains. 

"  Chaplain  Witherspoon,  of  the  Army  of  Tennessee,  and  Chaplain  Mark- 
ham,  of  the  Army  of  Tennessee,  were  among  the  visitors. 

"  At  10  o'clock  the  Council  Chamber  was  closed,  and  there  were  yet  many 
who  desired  admission.  The  building  was  then  placed  in  charge  of  the 
Washington  Artillery,  acting  as  a  guard,  and  none  but  members  of  the  press 
were  admitted. 

"Just  before  the  Council  Chamber  closed  last  night  the  Sons  and  Daughters 
of  Confederate  veterans,  numbering  over  two  hundred,  called  and  viewed 
the  remains. 

"  The  Confederate  States  Cavalry  Association  also  came  in  a  body  after  their 
meeting. 

"  At  five  minutes  before  midnight  Captain  Isaacson  withdrew  the  guard 
from  the  Council  Chamber,  and  Undertaker  Johnson  and  his  assistants  took 
charge  of  the  mortuary  room.    Only  they  were  permitted  to  enter  the  room. 

"  They  unscrewed  the  glass  lid  from  the  casket  and  removed  it  so  as  to 
allow  Mrs.  Hayes,  daughter  of  Mr.  Davis,  and  General  Joseph  R.  Davii,  a 
nephew,  to  view  the  remains. 

"As  the  bell  of  the  Citv  Hall  tolled  the  hour  of  midnight,  Mrs.  Hayes, 
leaning  on  the  arm  of  General  Davjg,  entered  the  room.    Not  even  the 


502  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

ujidertaker  was  present.  What  took  place  is  not  known,  but  as  they  made 
their  exit  ten  minutes  later,  Mrs.  Hayes  was  weeping,  while  General  Davis 
showed  that  he  deeply  felt  the  loss  of  his  relative. 

"  Soon  after  the  departure  of  Mrs.  Hayes  and  General  Davis,  Mr.  Orion 
Frazee,  the  artist  who  had  come  from  Atlanta  to  take  a  death  mask  of  Mr- 
Davis,  appeared  and  at  once  went  to  work. 

"  No  one  was  present  but  the  sculptor,  the  undertaker,  and  Messrs.  Farrar 
and  Clark,  representing  Mrs.  Davis. 

"The  head  was  raised  and  the  impression  of  the  face  taken  in  plaster  of 
paris.  It  was  found  impossible  to  take  the  hand  or  foot,  because  they  had 
become  shrunken.  The  artist  was  much  pleased  with  the  impression  of  the 
head.  The  features,  he  stated,  he  would  be  able  to  reproduce  from  a  photo- 
graph. His  first  idea  was  to  get  an  impression  of  the  right  hand  and  foot* 
but  that  was  found  to  be  impossible. 

Mayor  Shakspeare  received  the  following  telegrams  : 

From  Governor  T.  P.  Flemming,  Tallahassee,  Fla. : 

"  Please  advise  as  soon  as  known  the  time  and  place  of  the  funeral  of  Mr. 
Davis." 

From  Governor  Daniel  G.  Fowle,  Raleigh,  N.  C,  December,  7: 

"  North  Carolina,  through  her  committee,  will  unite  with  the  people  of  the 
South  in  the  funeral  service  in  your  city,  whilst  at  that  hour  memorial  ser- 
vices will  be  held  throughout  this  State  appreciative  of  our  great  leader." 

From  AV.  E.  Gonzales,  Private  Secretary,  Columbia,  S.  C,  December  7  : 

"  The  Governor  and  a  commission  of  five  will  attend  the  funeral  of  the 
departed  Southern  chief." 

From  Governor  J.  P.  Richardson,  Columbia,  S.  C,  December  7  : 
"  Your  telegram  received.    Issued  proclamation  yesterday.    State  will  be 
represented  at  funeral." 

Fron],  Governor  E.  W.  Wilson,  of  Charleston,  West  Virginia,  December  7  : 
"  I  regret  to  say  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  any  of  our  State  otficials  to 

attend  the  funeral  of  Mr.  Davis." 
From  M.  A.  Fanning,  Private  Secretary,  Jefierson  City,  Mo.,  December  7  • 
"  Governor  Francis  out  of  the  State  at  present.  Cannot  advise  you  myself 

but  will  wire  him." 

From  Governor  E.  E.  Jackson,  Salisbury,  Md.,  December,  7: 

"  It  is  with  deep  regret  we  learn  of  the  death  of  the  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis. 

Were  it  not  for  the  pressure  of  public  duties  I  would;  endeavor. to  be.pres- . 

ent  at  the  funeral  ceremonies.    Assure  Mrs.  Davis  of  Maryland's  heartful 

sympathy." 

From  J.  Iv.  Jackson,  Private  Secretary,  jNIontgomery,  December  7 : 

"  The  Governor  is  not  well  to-day,  but  will,  if  possible,  attend  the  funeral 

of  Mr.  Davis.    Certainly  representatives  of  the  State  will  be  present." 


TELEGRAMS  OF  CONDOLENCE.  503 

From  Governor  James  P.  Eagle,  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  December  7 : 

"  Your  ofBcial  notification  of  the  death  of  Jefierson  Lavis  received.    A 

statesman  in  time  of  peace,  a  soldier  in  war,  always  a  patriot;  the  South 

mourns  the  death  of  one  of  her  greatest  chieftains." 

From  Governor  Robert  Lowry,  Jackson,  Miss.,  December  7  : 
"State  officials  and  acommitteeof  citizens  will  attend  the  funeral  of  Pres- 
ident Davis." 
From  Governor  Robert  L.  Taylor,  Nashville,  Tenn.,  December  7 : 
"  I  have  appointed  a  number  of  distinguished  ex-Confederates.    Can't  tell 
how  many  will  attend." 
From  Governor  F.  P.  Flemming,  Tallahassee,  Fla.,  December  7  : 
"  I  will  attend  the  funeral  and  will  wire  you  if  there  are  other  represen- 
tatives of  the  State  who  will  attend." 
From  Governor  S.  B.  Buckner,  Frankfort,  Ky.,  December  7 : 
"  I  expect  to  attend  the  funeral  of  Mr.  Davis.  I  will  stop  at  the  St.  Charles." 
From  F.  A,  Reichardt^  Captain  commanding  Houston  Light  Guard,  Hous- 
ton, December  7: 

"The  company  which  formed  the  first  military  guard  of  honor  to  ex- 
President  Davis  after  the  late  civil  war  begs  to  be  included  in  the  military 
arrangements  of  the  funeral  cortege  of  the  distinguished  Southern  states- 
man, patriot  and  soldier.    Please  answer." 

The  mayor  responded  that  the  Houston  Light  Guard  would  be  assigned 
a  position. 
Mayor  Shakspeare  yesterday  sent  the  following  dispatch : 

"  New  Orleans,  Dec.  7. 
"  Hon.  Secretary  of  War,  Washington,  D.  C: 

"  I  have  officially  to  inform  you  that  the  Hon.  Jefierson  Davis,  at  one 
time  Secretary  of  War  of  the  United  States,  died  in  this  city  yesterday. 
"  His  funeral  will  take  place  here  on  December  11,  at  12  o'clock  noon. 

"  Joseph  A.  Shakspeare,  Mayor." 
Mayor  Shakspeare  also  issued  the  following  proclamation : 

"  To  the  Citizens  of  New  Orleans  : 

"  As  an  outward  sign  of  the  love  and  admiration  our  people  feel  for  the 
illustrious  man  and  stainless  gentleman  now  lying  dead  in  the  City  Hall,  I 
recommend  that  commercial  bodies  and  citizens  generally  drape  in  appro- 
priate mourning,  and  that  on  Wednesday,  December  11,  business  be  sus- 
pended and  the  various  civic  and  military  organizations,  as  well  as  individ- 
ual citizens  attend  the  funeral  of  Jefferson  Davis. 

"  A  life  so  pure,  a  career  so  illustrious,  may  well  serve  as  an  example  to 
rising  generations,  and  I  recommend  that  the  schools  be  closed  and  that  the 
children  attend  the  funera). 

"  Joseph  Shakspeare,  Mayor.'" 


804  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLmiE. 

The  following  messages  were  among  those  received  by  Mrs.  Davis : 
From  Collin  Cobb,  President,  Cambridge,  Mass.,  December  7: 
"  The  members  of  the  Harvard  Southern  Club  extend  to  you  their  heart* 
felt  sympathy  in  your  great  bereavement." 
From  ]\Iayor  C.  B.  Gomees,  Columbus,  Ga.,  December  7  : 
"  The  citizens  of  Columbus  in  mass  meeting  assembled  desire  to  express 
their  sincerest  sympathy  for  yourself  and  family  in  heavy  affliction  which 
has  befallen  you  in  loss  of  your  distinguished  husband,  our  ex- President  and 
honored  chieftain." 
From  Mayor  A.  G.  Deleso,  Yazoo  City,  December  7 : 
"  Our  citizens  send  their  condolence  and  mourn  with  you  the  death  of 
your  illustrious  husband." 
Fro,m  S.  A.  Manuel,  President,  Georgetown,  S.  C,  December  7 : 
"The  Survivors'  Association  of  Company  A,  Tenth  South  Carolina  Eegi- 
ment,  Confederate  States  Army  mingle  their  tears  with  yours  in  the  death 
of  your  husband  and  their  illustrious  chieftain." 

From  Chaplain  J.  Carmichael,  Armory  Wilmington  Light  Infantry,  Wil- 
mington, N.  C,  Dec.  7 : 

"  Amid  the  tender  sympathies  which  every  true  Southern  heart  feels  for 
you  in  the  departure  of  your  immortal  husband,  none  are  deeper  or  more 
genuine  than  that  of  this  command." 

From  Creorge  B.  Eastin,  President,  Louisville,  Ky.,  Dec.  7  ; 
"  The  people  of  Kentucky  reverence  the  name  of  our  lamented,  and  feel 
a  pride  in  the  fact  of  his  being  a  native  of  this  State.  I  am  directed  by  the 
Confederate  Association  of  Kentucky  and  by  the  people  of  Louisville,  to 
respectfully  advise  you  th:;t  they  have  secured  for  you  in  Cave  Hill  ceme- 
tery the  beautiful  lot  formeilj'  set  aside  for  President  Zachary  Taylor,  but 
never  used,  and  they  beg  of  you  that  they  be  honored  by  having  you  bring 
here  the  remains  of  Jefferson  Davis." 

From  Harris  P.  Manning,  Chairman,  Henderson,  N.  C,  December  7 : 
"The  citizens  of  Henderson,  N.  C,  in  public  meeting  assembled,  extend 
to  you  their  sympathies  in  your  sad  bereavement.    The  loss  to  you  is  a 
devoted  husband,  to  the  South  a  noble  chief.    May  the  God  of  All  give 
comfort  and  bless  you  and  yours." 
From  Thomas  A.  Brander,  Commander,  Richmond,  Va.,  December  7 : 
"P.  E.  Lee  Camp  No.  1,  Confederate  Veterans,  in  meeting  assembled,  send 
you  their  sincerest  sympathy.    The  tears  of  every  Confederate  veteran  min- 
gle with  yours  in  sorrow  over  the  loss  of  our  honored  and  loved  President." 
From  General  E.  Kirby  Smith,  Sewanee,  Tenn.,  December  7: 
"You  have  the  heartfelt  sympathy  of  myself  and  family." 
From  J.  H.  Littlefield,  Chairman,  Hillsboro',  Miss.,  December  7: 
"The  people  of  Hill  county,  Texas,  in  mass  meeting  assembled,  direct  mo 
to  extend  to  you  their  heartfelt  sympathy  in  your  deep  bereavement." 


TELEGRAMS  OF  C0ND0LE2i'CE.  «0o 

From  Mayor  R.  F.  Beck,  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  December  7: 

"Acting  in  my  official  capacity,  at  the  request  of  the  citizens  of  Vicks- 
burg, in  mass  maeting  assembled,  I  am  authorized  to  tender  you  a  last  rest- 
ing place  within  the  corporate  limits  of  this  city  for  the  remains  of  your 
late  illustriouE  husband." 

From  Messrs.  B.  F.  Ward,  D.  Sweatman,  Frank  Hawkins,  and  J.  H. 
Somerville,  Vienna,  Miss.,  December  7: 

"  The  people  of  Montgomery  county,  in  mass  meeting,  under  deep  con- 
viction of  the  country's  great  loss,  tender  warmest  sympathies  in  this  your 
sad  bereavement." 

The  Mississipians  in  Washington  sent  by  telegraph  to  Mrs.  Davis  the  reso- 
Jutions  of  regret  adopted  by  them. 

From  Jeflf.  D.  GriflSth,  Esq.,  Kansas  Gty,  Mo.,  December  7: 

"  Our  heartf .  are  sad  with  yours." 

From  William  Y.  Kamlin,  Esq.,  Detroit,  Mich.,  December  7; 

"I  condole  Ti'ith  you  the  illustrious  dead.  Please  accept  assurances  of 
heartfelt  sorrow." 

From  Hon.  H.  Dudley  Coleman,  Washington,  D,  C,  December  7: 

"  I  most  respectfully  tender  to  you  my  sincere  condolence  in  this  sad  hour 
of  great  affliction.  Many  suffering  hearts  among  our  dear  homes  are  sympa- 
thizing with  you  in  silent  grief  and  mute  distress." 

^rom  Messrs.  Robert  McCulloch,  James  Harding,  W.  E.  Coleman,  Theo- 
dore iarace.  J.  L.  Keown,  D.  D.  Owen,  John  B.  Ruthven,  B.  J.  Clarke,  J.  M. 
Ballin,  W.S.Pape,  William  S.  Davidson,  and  D.  H.  Mclntyre,  Jefferson  City, 
Mo.,  December  7 : 

"  The  undersigned  ex-Confederates,  residents  of  the  city,  desire  herewith 
to  tender  you  their  heartfelt  sympathy  and  condolence  in  this  the  hour  of 
your  great  affliction." 

From  Messrs.  R.  L.  Gibson,  N.  0.  Blanchard,  Bowman  Matthews,  T.  S. 
Wilkinson,  C.  J.  Boatner,  S.  W.  Perkins,  Andrew  Price,  and  S.  N.  Robertson, 
Washington,  D.  C,  December  7: 

"  We  beg  leave  to  tender  to  you  our  profound  sympathy  in  your  bereave- 
ment, and  to  express  our  own  sorrow  at  the  death  of  your  illustrious  and 
beloved  husband." 

From  R.  W.  Sieger,  Esq.,  Chicago,  Dl.,  December  7 : 

"Am  one  of  many  Northern  men  feeling  sympathy  for  you,  and  having 
greatest  respect  for  the  dead." 

"Telegrams  were  also  received  from  John  J.  Hurt,  R.  E.  Ballenge,  and  S. 
A.  Jackson,  of  the  Kappa  Sigma  Society  of  Abingdon,  Va. ;  General  S.  D. 
Lee;  President  George  Moorman,  of  the  Veteran  Cavalry  Association,  who 
is  at  present  in  St.  i^ouis ;  Judge  and  Mrs.  David  Clopton,  of  Montgomery, 
Ala. ;  the  Independent  Light  Infantry,  of  Fayetteville,  N.  C. ;  the  women  of  the 
Richland  Mpr^l  Association  of  Columbia,  S.  C;  ZolUcoffer  Camp  Confederate 


506  TRE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

Veterans ;  P.  I.  Chapter  of  Kappa  Sigma  Society,  Va. ;  the  people  of  Santa 
Fe,  N.  M.;  the  ladies  of  Summit,  Miss.;  the  Confederate  Veterans  of  Savan- 
nah; M.  J.  Colson,  of  Brunswicii,  Ga.,  and  the  Confederate  Survivors' 
Association,  of  Laurens,  S.  C. 

"  The  guard  of  honor,  battalion  Washington  Artillery,  the  second  night  was 
from  Battery  C,  Captain  H.  M.  Isaacson,  Lieutenant  R.  A.  Phelps,  Sergeant 
Jesse  Fettis,  Sergeant  A.  L.  Meyer,  Sergeant  John  Green,  Corporal  H.  E. 
Shropshire,  Jr.,  Corporal  J.  A.  Haggerty,  Privates  J.  A.  Alternio,  A.  B.  Brand, 
A.  D.  McBride,  James  Freret,  Joseph  T.  Scott,  Jr.,  George  P.  Thompson,  E. 
J.  Evens,  Herbert  Palfrey,  John  Monroe,  Charles  Doerr,  J.  D.  Preston,  L. 
Imholte,  Jr.,  G.  H.  Stevenson,  E.  E.  Chubbuck,  Jr.,  L.  Hyman." 

The  following  proclamations  were  issued  on  the  7th  and  tele- 
graphed to  New  Orleans : 

"  Executive  Department,  State  of  Louisiana, 

"  Baton  Rouge,  Dec.  6, 1889. 
"To  the  end  that  the  universal  sentiment  of  sorrow  at  the  death  of  JeflFer- 
son  Davis,  which  prevades  this  State,  may  find  simultaneous  expression,  I 
earnestly  invite  the  people  of  Louisiana,  on  the  day  and  hour  of  his  funeral, 
December  11, 1889,  at  12  M.,  to  assBiJible  and  hold  memorial  services  in  their 
respective  localities. 

"  Feancis  T.  Nicholls. 

"  Governor  of  Louisiana." 

"  State  op  Mississippi,  Executive  Department, 

"  Jackson,  Dec,  7, 1889. 
"  The  great  Miasissippian  has  fallen.  The  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis,  the  soldier 
of  dai^ntless  courage,  the  wise  statesman,  the  distinguished  orator,  the  true 
patriot,  the  model  citizen,  the  elegant  Christian  gentleman  is  dead.  This 
death  has  touched  every  Mississippian's  heart.  Ours  is  a  common  grief.  It 
is  meet  and  desirable  that  all  the  people  should  honor  the  memory  of  Missis- 
sippi's noblest  son.  In  recognition  of  the  universal  esteem  in  which  the 
beloved  dead  was  held  and  the  common  sorrow  of  our  people,  I,  Robert 
Lowry,  Governor,  recommend  and  urge  all  the  citizens  of  the  State  to  meet 
at  some  suitable  place  on  Wednesday,  11th  instant,  at  12  M.,  the  hour  fixed 
for  the  funeral  and  hold  memorial  services  in  honor  of  Mississippi's  distin- 
guished son. 

"  Robert  Lowry 
"  By  the  Governor  : 

"  George  M.  Govan,  Secretary  of  State." 

"Whereas,  the  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis,  by  his  gallant  conduct,  ;;r5  ;i  :  oidicr  on 
numerous  fields  of  battle,  by  his  bold,  staunch  and  unselfish  devotion  to  hig 


PROCLAMATIONS  OF  GOVERNORS.  507 

ideal  oi  public  duty,  and  by  his  stainless  private  character,  has  made  his 
fame  the  common  heritage  of  the  people  of  every  Southern  State;  and 

''  AVhereas  his  recent  death  in  New  Orleans  has  carried  a  sense  of  profound 
bereavement  to  his  fellow-citizens  throughout  the  South,  who  once  gladly 
acknowledged  him  their  chosen  leader,  now,  therefore,  I,  Thomas  Seay,  Gov- 
ernorof  Alabama,  in  conformation  to  the  def^ire  of  the  people  of  this  State, 
do  hereby  make  proclamation  and  name  Wednesday,  December  11,  as  a 
proper  time  for  them  to  meet  together  and  show  their  reverence  for  the 
illustrious  dead.  Thomas  Seay." 

"  State  of  Florida,  Executive  Department. 
"  To  the  people  of  Florida : 

"  The  immortal  soul  of  Jefierson  Davis  passed  from  earth  on  Friday,  Decem- 
ber 6, 1889. 

"  It  is  fitting  that  those  who  honored  and  revered  him  in  life,  and  mourn 
him  in  death,  should  pay  meet  tribute  and  respect  to  his  memory.  Now, 
therefore,  I,  Francis  P.  Flemming,  Governor  of  the  State  of  Florida,  do  hereby 
invite  the  people  of  our  State  on  Wednesday,  the  11th  instant,  at  12  noon 
being  the  day  and  hour  appointed  for  his  funeral,  to  assemble  at  convenient 
places  in  their  respective  communities  and  join  in  appropriate  memorial 
services.  In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  caused 
to  be  affixed  the  great  seal  of  the  State  at  Tallahassee,  the  capital,  this  7th 
day  of  December,  A.  D.,  1889,  and  of  the  independence  of  the  United  States, 
the  one  hundred  and  fourteenth  year. 

"  Francis  P.  Flemming  Governor. 
"Attest: 

"J.  L.  Crawford,  Secretary  of  State." 

"  Austin,  December  7, 
"  Governor  Ross  having  notice  from  Mayor  Shakspeare  that  the  funeral  of 
Mr.  Davis  would  take  place  at  noon,  December  11,  in  New  Orleans,  issued 
his  proclamation  declaring  "  that  in  order  that  the  people  of  Texas  may 
have  the  mournful  privilege  of  laying  a  simple  wreath  upon  his  tomb  and 
mingle  their  tears  with  those  who  would  pay  fitting  tribute  to  the  public 
and  private  virtues  of  one  who  as  a  true  reflex  of  their  sentiments  and 
with  a  heart  that  never  quailed  and  a  courage  that  never  faltered,  was  con- 
stant in  pleading  for  that  Anglo-Saxon  birthright  of  largest  liberty  and  free- 
dom of  conscience  in  a  government  where  the  consent  of  the  governed  is  the 
life  and  soul  of  our  institutions,  and  who,  with  'charity  toward  all  and 
malice  tov/ard  none,'  died  in  that  Christian  faith  whose  wisdom  it  is  to 
impart  moral  hea.'th  and  soundness  to  the  race  of  man ;  now,  therefore,  I, 
L.  S.  Ross,  Governor  of  Texas,  do  earnestly  invoke  all  those  who  cherish 
with  filial  devotion  the  hallowed  f^ssgcjations  and  historic  glories  which 


«08  TRE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

cluster  about  his  name  to  lay  aside  their  customary  avocations  on  that  day 
and  hour  and  express  in  an  appropriate  manner  their  deep  and  lasting 
grief." 

Mrs.  Davis  sent  out  the  following  graceful  acknowledgment: 

"  New  Orleans,  La.,  December  7. 
"  To  the  Agent  of  the  Associated  Press  : 
"Dear  Sir: 

"  Will  you  have  fhe  kindness  to  say  for  me  through  the  Associated 
Press  that  it  will  be  a  physical  impossibility  for  me  to  answer  the  thousands 
of  telegrams  of  condolence  that  have  poured  in  from  all  parts  of  the  United 
States.  I  therefore  take  this  means  of  expressing  my  appreciation  of  the 
profound  sympathy  exhibited  by  so  many  of  Mr.  Davis's  friends  to  his 
bereaved  and  grateful  family. 

"  Very  respectfully  yours, 

"Vaeina  Howell  Davis." 

The  following  note  was  received  and  referred  to  Mrs.  Davis  : 

"  New  Orleans,  December  7. 
"  Colonel  Wm.  Preston  Johnston,  Chairman  Executive  Committee : 
"  Dear  Sir : 

"  While  the  entire  South  claims  him  as  her  own,  New  Orleans 
asks  that  Jefferson  Davis  be  laid  to  rest  within  the  city  where  he  fell  asleep. 
"  To  this  end  the  Metairie  Cemetery  Association  offers  to  you,  as  the  rep- 
resentative of  the  people  of  the  South,  the  mound  to  the  left  of  the  entrance 
of  the  cemetery  and  immediately  opposite  to  and  corresponding  with  that 

where  rest  the  heroes  of  the  Army  of  Tennessee. 

"  Gus.  E.  Bkeaux, 

"  J.  H.  Bell,  Secretary."  "  President  Metairie  Cemetery  Ass'n. 

It  IS  simply  impossible  to  give  the  full  details  of  the  honors 
paid  to  the  "  Tall  chieftain  of  the  men  in  Gray  "  while  his 
body  was  lying  in  state. 

It  is  estimated  that  during  the  days  and  nights  of  Saturday, 
Sunday,  Monday,  Tuesday  and  Wednesday  morning  at  least 
one  hijLndred  and  fifty  thousand  people  passed  by  the  bier  and 
viewed  the  body. 

And  during  the  pouring  by  of  the  constant  stream  of  reverent 
people  some  very  touching  incidents  occurred  And  during 
these  days  telegrams  of  respect  and  condolence  continued  to 
pour  in  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  so  numerous  that  we 
cannot  give  even  the  names  of  the  parties  from  whom  they 
came. 


THE  SO  UTH  MO  URNS.  BOfl 

The  Times-Democrat  of  the  10th  had  this  editorial : 

"If  there  was  ever  the  shadow  of  doubt  in  tlie  minds  of  the  people  of 
the  United  States  of  the  hold  of  Jefferson  Davis  upon  the  hearts  of  the 
Southern  people  that  doubt  has  been  removed.  From  city  and  country, 
from  every  nook  and  hamlet,  have  come  expressions  of  profoundest  sorrow 
over  his  death  ;  of  grief  at  the  passing  away  of  the  great  Confederate  chieftain- 

"  Jefferson  Davis's  place  in  the  affections  of  his  people  can  never  be  filled. 
They  loved  him ;  they  loved  his  pure  and  manly  character;  his  integrity, 
the  spotlessness  of  his  life  among  them.  They  turned  to  him  as  the  Mus- 
sulman to  his  Mecca — the  shrine  at  which  all  true  Southern-born  should 
worship. 

"  There  has  never  been  any  division  of  sentiment  as  to  the  greatness  of  Jef- 
ferson Davis.  He  has  always  been  the  hero  of  his  people — their  best 
beloved.  From  the  day  that  Lee  laid  down  his  arms  at  Appomattox  to  the 
hour  of  Jefferson  Davis's  death  the  Southern  people  look  upon  the  ex-Presi- 
dent of  the  Confederacy  as  the  embodiment  of  all  that  was  grand  and  glori- 
ous in  the  Lost  Cause.  Standing  alone  as  a  citizen  without  the  power  to 
exercise  his  citizenship,  the  last  surviving  victim  of  sectional  hate  and 
malevolence,  he  was  an  exile  while  on  the  soil  of  his  native  land  and  in  the 
midst  of  his  own  people. 

"We  repeat  it — there  can  no  longer  remain  a  doubt  of  the  affectionate 
regard  in  which  the  Confederate  chieftain  was  held  by  those  among  whom 
he  had  lived  for  more  than  fourscore  years.  The  tribute  that  has  come  is 
universal ;  there  is  not  a  jarring  note  to  disturb  the  hour.  Jefferson  Davis 
will  go  to  the  grave  bathed  in  a  people's  tears." 

The  following  telegraphic  correspondence  explains  itself,  and 

we  give  it  without  comment: 

"  War  Department, 

"  Washington,  December  8. 
'^ Hon.  Joseph  A.  Sliakspeare,  Mayor,  Neiv  Orleans: 

"  Your  telegram  informing  me  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Davis  is  received. 
In  refraining  from  any  official  action  thereon,  I  would  not  and  hope  I  do 
not  add  to  the  great  sorrow  of  his  family  and  many  friends.  It  seems  to 
me  the  right  course  and  the  best  one  for  all.  You  will,  I  am  sure,  under- 
stand that  its  adoption  is  prompted  also  by  a  sincere  wish  and  purpose  to 
act  in  the  spirit  of  peace  and  good  will  which  should  fill  the  hearts  of  our 
people.  Eedfield  Proctor,  Secretary  of  War." 

"  Mayoralty  of  New  Orleans, 

"  City  Hall,  December  9,  1889. 
"  Hon.  Redfield  Proctor,  Secretary  of  War : 

"Sir— I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  receipt  of  your  telegram  replying 
to  mine  announcing  the  death  of  the  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis,  formerly  Secre- 
tary of  War  of  the  United  States. 


i)iO  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  TIME. 

"  Permit  me  to  say  that  the  kindly  expressions  therein  do  honor  to  the 
man,  and  will  go  far  toward  removing  the  sting  inflicted  in  our  people's 
hearts  by  the  fact  that  the  secretary  cannot  display  from  the  War  Office  the 
customary  oflicial  signal  of  respect  to  a  dead  predecessor. 
"  Respectfully  your  obedient  servant. 

"Joseph  A.  Shakspeaee,  3Iayor." 

Among  a  number  of  poems  published  in  the  New  Orleans 
papers  we  select  the  following  from  the  Times-Democrat,  Decem- 
ber 6th : 

JEFFERSOX  DAVIS  IS  DEAD. 

"And  God  is  love,"  fell  on  a  nation's  ears. 

As  sounds  of  grief  commingled  with  her  praise, 
Told  how  a  great  man  died ;  great  length  of  days 

Congealed  not  up  the  fountain  of  her  tears. 

For  he  who'd  led  her  armies  held  for  years 

A  place  too  dear  to  lose  it  in  a  maze 
Of  any  length  of  time,  nor  may  the  haze 

Of  centuries  efface  his  love — or  fears. 

A  great  man's  dead ;  and  all  the  Southland  mourns 

For  more  than  a  great  chief — for  he  to  all 
Was  as  a  sire — yea!  beloved  all  his  land. 

His  name,  his  deed— his  very  life  adorns 
The  page  of  histor.v  ;  and  at  the  call 

For  men,  his  great  heart  leaped — he  led  the  band! 
Nev}  Orleans,  La.  — Fred.  Lucca  Squires. 


PKAY   EXCUSE    ME. 

Last  Words  of  Jefferson  Davis. 

^  0,  great,  true  heart!  these  gentle,  courteous  words, 

Addressed  to  friends  about  thy  dying  bed, 
Proclaim  a  message  clear  as  songs  of  birds, 
Which  well  may  reach  the  living  from  the  dead. 

O,  world  of  hate!  who  scoff  above  his  bier, 
Heed  ye  the  message,  gentle,  yet  so  strong: 

He  sought  the  right— unmoved  by  love  or  fear ; 
Excuse  him  that  he  could  not  bow  to  wrong  ! 

0,  world  of  love!  who  mourn  him  near  and  far, 

Enshrine  his  message  in  each  loyal  soul. 
Though  needed  not.     His  memory,  like  a  star, 

Shines  ever  on  toward  Honor's  brightest  goal. 

0,  Kingly  soul!  0,  silent,  knightly  lips. 

Which  plead  to  be  excused  for  work  well  done, 

Ye  still  attest — in  spite  of  Death's  eclipse — 
The  Southland's  chieftain  was  her  humblest  son! 

New  Qrlmm^  December  10, 1889  -=-^  B.  Elder. 


TRIBUTE  OF  Tift:  ARMY  OF  TEiXK  f.l  1 

The  Association  of  tlie  Army  of  Tonnessee  Veterans  held  an 
enthusiastic  meeting  at  their  hall  on  Tuesday  night,  December 
lOtb,  the  President,  Colonel  A.  J.  Lewis,  in  the  chair. 

The  Executive  Committee  presented  suitable  resolutions  of 
respect  to  the  memory  of  the  great  chief,  after  which  General 
George  W.  Jones  was  called  out  and  gave  some  deeply  interest- 
ing reminiscences  of  his  old  college-mate  and  life-long  friend. 

Rev.  Dr.  T.  R.  Markham  had  been  fortunately  selected  as  the 
orator  of  the  evening,  and  made  the  following  eloquent  and 
appropriate  speech,  which  was  punctuated  with  generous  ap- 
plause : 

ADDRESS    OF    DR.    MARKHAM. 

"Mr.  President  and  Comrades: 

"  You  have  often  honored  me  by  asking  me  to  give  voice  to  your  convic- 
tions and  emotions  at  our  annual  reunions.  But  to-night,  in  calling  upon 
me  to  respond  to  resolutions  which  so  fitly  and  felicitously  express  our 
appreciation  and  affection  for  him  who  through  four  eventful  years  guided 
our  affairs,  in  this,  while  doing  the  highest  honor,  you  have  also  laid  upon 
me  the  weightiest  burden.  And  I  can  only  ask  that  the  imperfectness  of 
my  utterance  shall  have  this  as  its  extenuation,  that  out  of  the  abundance 
of  the  heart  it  will  be  spoken. 

"And  those  were  eventful  years  through  which  he  led  us.  Years  of  sun- 
shine and  of  storm,  in  which,  its  flag  flung  to  the  battle  and  the  breeze, 
there  lived,  ruled,  and  warred  a  nation,  a  Confederacy,  with  its  president, 
its  statesmen,  its  Congress,  its  leaders,  its  soldiers,  and  its  people— men  stead- 
fast and  true— and  women  (its  flower  and  crown)  who  suffered  and  endured. 
That  is  history. 

"  That  past  is  secure,  and  as  to-night  its  memories  gather  about  our  hearts 
and  tremble  on  our  lips,  its  achievements  swell  the  souls,  fire  the  spirits, 
and  nerve  the  arms  of  freemen,  and  will  while  truth,  honor  and  nobleness 
have  name  and  praise  among  men. 

"Looking  back,  an  air  of  romance  pervades  its  origin  and  action,  for  its 
birth  throes  recall  the  fable  of  the  crop  of  full-armed  men  that  sprung  from 
the  brow  of  the  Grecian  Minerva.  A  nation  of  agriculturists,  a  class  unused 
and  indisposed  to  organization  and  combination,  separate  persons  dwelling 
apart  either  in  their  narrower  independencies  or  their  wider  principalities, 
and  holding  these  in  watch  and  ward  in  a  feudalism  jealous  of  intrusion, 
and  with  an  individualism  proud  of  its  possessions,  it  imparted  but  this  one 
advantage  at  the  outset  of  the  conflict  which  against  such  odds  it  waged 
so  long  and  so  well,  that  its  farmers  and  their  boys,  and  its  planters  and 


n2  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

their  sons,  were  ready  for  the  fray,  for  they  had  been  trained,  after  the  man- 
ner cf  the  Persian  Cyrus,  'to  ride,  to  shoot,  and  to  tell  the  truth.' 

"Therefore,  deceit  and  falsehood  were  not  their  dominating  frailties,  but 
rather  an  over-sensitiveness  to  the  claims  of  honor,  an  excels  of  pride  of 
spirit, and  a  being  'sudden  and  quick  in  quarrel.' 

"Without  armories,  foundries,  or  factories,  destitute  of  ships  and  hindered 
by  defective  lines  of  inner  transportation,  the  equipping  its  men,  the  manu- 
facturing cf  its  guns,  the  casting  of  its  cannon,  and  the  assembling  of  its 
forces,  so  that,  in  their  first  fiery  onset,  they  routed  adversaries  armed  with 
the  best  of  weapons  and  supplied  from  the  amplest  resources,  seems  a  story 
worthy  a  place  in  the  '  Arabian  Nights,'  a  result  recalling  the  magic  efiect 
of  the  rubbing  of  Aladdin's  lamp. 

**Nor  were  these  adversaries  like  the  people  through  whose  wide  domains 
the  Greek  Xenophon  conducted  the  retreat  of  the  immor'.nl  'Ten  Thou- 
sand.' Nor  their  armies  as  the  Persian  hordes  pierced  and  parted  by  Alex* 
ander's  wedge-shaped  phalanx.  But  they  were  men  of  like  descent,  sprung 
from  the  same  ancestral  stock,  who  only  needed  time  and  training  to  make 
them  'foemen  worthy  of  our  brave  men's  steel'— men  who,  when  they 
too  had  learned  to  ride  and  shoot,  in  their  disciplined  valor  so  made  the 
two  antagonistic  forces  peers  that  neither,  without  self-depreciation,  might 
underestimate  the  other. 

"And  now,  surely,  with  us  some  master  mind  at  the  directing  centre 
must  have  arranged  so  improvised  a  combination  and  shaped  so  efi"ective  an 
organization,  whose  conjoined  elements  of  force  and  action  so  speedily  and 
promptly  converged  to  the  appointed  place  and  achieved  the  planned  pur- 
pose. 

"Such  a  man  there  was.    A  man  selected  as  singularly  suited  to  the  place 

and  work,  and  a  man  manifesting  a  fitness  so  seen  by  all,  that  the  universal 

^voice  assigned  the  post  to  him.    A  soldier  who  in  (wo  wars  had  '  proved  his 

armor' — one  with  the  Indians  on  the  frontier,  and  the  other  with  Mexico's 

trained  battalions. 

"A  statesman  who  stood  conspicuous  in  a  Congress  of  which  Clay,  Cal- 
houn and  Webster  were  the  ornaments  and  pride.  An  ex-Secretary  of 
War,  whose  biilliant  record  is  part  of  the  national  fame.  And  who,  as 
'good  wine  needs  no  bush,'  needs  no  flag  at  half-mast,  that  might  have 
been  lowered  by  an  official  who  misse<l  his  opportunity.  Whose 'covert 
attempt  to  dwarf  and  minimize  our  cause,'  (I  quote  the  words  of  a  vener- 
able rector  of  our  city,  Rev.  Dr.  Hedges,  whose  every  heart-beat  is  loyal  to 
our  patriotic  past)  in  the  person  of  our  hero  and  head,  by  styling  him  and 
his  people  'Mr.  Davis  and  his  many  friends,'  can  only  recoil  upon  himself. 
"'Many  friends!'  Aye,  the  South  is  his  friends.  And  ere  the  hour  of 
noon  to-morrow,  when  the  doors  of  the  Council  Chamber,  where  his  body 
'ies  in  state,  shall  have  closed,  more  than  100,000  eyes  will  have  looked 


HIS  SICKNESS  AND  DBA  TH.  tn 

their  last  in  love  and  reverence  on  the  venerated  form  and  face  of  the  ex- 
President  of  the  Confederacy.  '  Many  friends !'  let  the  telegrams  from  the 
Governors  of  States  with  their  proclamations,  the  messages  from  the  mayors 
of  cities  and  towns,  and  the  officers  of  companies  and  corporations;  let 
draped  Soutliern  homes,  houses  and  hr.lls;  let  the  cities  and  States  contend- 
ing for  the  honor  of  giving  his  remains  a  resting  place;  let  the  spontaneous 
gatherings  of  the  people,  through  which  to-morrow,  at  mid-day,  an  electric 
thrill  will  pass  from  the  Chesapeake  to  the  Eio  Grande,  from  the  Ohio  to 
the  Gulf  and  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Atlantic;  let  the  paeans  of  praise 
that  in  all  these  States  shall  be  spoken  and  sung;  let  the  ministers  of 
religion  sanctified  by  prayer  and  the  divine  word;  let  these  make  answer, 
and  millions  of  attesting  voices  in  a  reverberating  chorus  swelling  to  the 
sky,  will  tell  to  our  day  and  to  all  time,  how,  fiom  Maryland  to  Texas,  from 
Arkansas  to  Carolina,  from  Missouri  to  Florida,  and  from  Kentucky  to 
Louisiana,  the  people  of  these  States,  their  faith  in  him  re-affirmed,  their 
affection  freshened  and  their  devotion  deepened,  embalm  and  bedew  the 
memory  of  the  man  whom  they  delight  to  honor. 

"Behind  him,  through  those  years  was  a  willing  people,  willing  in  the 
day  of  his  power,  'who  helped  to  make  him  great.  A  great  people  and  a 
strong  '—great  in  quality  though  not  in  quantity — not  in  numbers  but  in 
spirit,  in  courage  in  devotion.  A  citizen  soldiery  at  the  roll-call  of  whose 
commands  men  by  the  thousand  coald  have  stepped  to  the  front  worthy 
the  comradeship  of  Csesar's  Tenth  Legion,  of  Cromwell's  Ironsides,  of  Wel- 
lington's Scotch  Grays,  or  of  Napoleon's  Old  Guard. 

"At  bis  side  were  Benjamin  and  Breckenndge,  in  whom  dwelt  the  spirit 
of  counsel  and  understanding,  and  at  hand  were  Lee  and  Jackson,  leaders, 
whose  presence  gave  inspiration  to  all  true  and  valiant  souls,  while  Albert 
Sidney  Johnston,  Polk,  Cleburne  and  Forrest,  and  others,  whose  *  name  is 
legion,'  upheld  his  arm  and  strengthened  his  soul. 

"  And  at  home,  men  and  boys,  true  as  steel;  women  and  girls,  the  peers  of 
the  noblest  and  best,  who  have  given  ministries  of  comfort  and  help  to 
man,  and  faithful  slaves  tilling  the  soil  for  masters  absent  in  camp  and 
field;  all  together  working,  serving  and  suffering  for  the  one  end  and  aim. 

"Men,  W3  know,  called  his  a  personal  government.  If  true,  it  sets  on 
him  the  ineffaceable  stamp  of  greatness.  The  man  who,  while  caring  for 
our  encircling  border  and  our  extended  coast,  through  four  years,  held  at 
bay  outnumbering  forces,  which  returned  recruited  from  their  own  and 
other  lands  (for  the  world  responded  to  their  plethoric  purse)  must  have 
been  as  sleepless  as  Cerberus,  as  many  eyed  as  Argus  and  as  many  handed 
as  Briareus.  One,  whose  firm  mind,  indomitable  will,  fixed  purpose  and 
quenchless  spirit  that  never  flagged  nor  faltered,  stamped  his  asapersonalty 
of  tremendous  potency  and  impassive  inflexibility. 

S3 


514  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

"  Reading  yesterday,  from  the  other  side,  a  not  unfriendly  criticism,  it  was 
said,  Mr.  Davis  died  unrepentant.  And  of  what  was  he  to  repent?  That  as 
'a  good  and  faithful  servant'  he  had  obeyed  the  voice  of  his  own  sovereign 
State  and  then  of  his  and  her  sister  sovereignties?  Eepent !  Why,  had  the 
faintest  whisper  of  such  a  word  parted  his  lips,  from  a  hundred  Confederate 
cemeteries,  and  from  a  thousand  battle-fields  where  sleep  our  undiscovered 
dead,  skeleton  forms,  reanimated,  turning  uneasily  in  their  graves,  would 
have  cried '  shame  1'  and  have  rent  the  heavens  with  their  groans.  He 
repent  1    Why  should  he? 

"  Who  repents  ?  Not  the  men  who  through  the  war  wore  the  gray.  Not 
one  woman.  Thank  God,  our  wives,  sisters  and  mothers  and  the  wives  of 
your  sons  have  never  through  one  such  utterance  swelled  the  chorus  of  the 
time  serving  and  the  timid. 

"  That  to  me  would  be  treason.  Treason  to  truth  and  right,  to  honor  and 
duty.  A  crime  which  through  that  war  and  after  could  not  be  laid  at  our 
door.  Could  it  have  been,  the  man  whose  memories  we  are  reviving  to- 
night, would  have  expiated  that  crime  by  the  sheding  of  his  blood.  Never 
would  he  have  stepped  forth  a  free  man  from  that  fortress  where  they 
bound  him  in  fetters  of  iron— fetters  that  we  esteem  anklets  of  gold,  for  he 
wore  them  for  us.  Chains  whose  clank  makes  music  to  our  ears,  for  the 
sound  has  in  it  the  martyr  ring.  Eelics  of  his  sufferings,  which  in  our 
keeping  would  be  held  as  Christians  hold  the  wood  of  the  cross. 

"  Think  you  that,  when  his  faithful  follower  and  friend,  that  noble  man 
and  good  priest,  Father  Hubert,  knelt  by  that  casket  and  prayed  his  prayer 
for  the  repose  of  his  leader's  soul,  that  he  would  have  had  those  lips 
opened  to  make  penitent  confession  of  the  leadership,  as  a  sin  unshriven? 
You  and  I  know  what  answer  he  would  make. 

"  ]Mr.  Davis  and  we  fought  for  the  Constitution  framed  by  our  fathers.  At 
Appomattox,  by  the  arbitrament  of  arms,  that  Constitution  was  changed; 
we  have  accepted  that  change.  And  were  we  now  for  one  hour  to  attempt 
that  which  we  then  endeavored  through  four  years,  that  would  be  treason, 
which  it  was  not  in  that  day.  Mr.  Davis's  release  and  the  nolle  prosequi  of 
the  law  cleared  us  of  that  charge,  our  adversaries  being  themselves  the 
judges.  But  while  thus  standing  for  our  past,  a  past  to  us  rich  in  recollec- 
tions of  honor,  truth  and  duty,  we  are  equally  clear  in  obeying  that  changed 
Constitution,  and  if  need  be  sustaining  it  with  our  blood 

"  Like  Napoleon,  Mr.  Davis,  after  his  career  closed,  lived  to  learn  some- 
what of  the  historic  place  that  he  would  hold.  But  their  lots  were  cast  in 
striking  and  painful  contrast.  The  great  Frenchman  in  exile,  a  prisoner 
dying  before  his  meridian.  The  great  American,  though  expatriated, 
dwelling  at  home  among  his  people,  until  past  his  fourscore,  and  having  in 
largest  measure  '  that  which  should  accompany  old  age,  as  honor,  love,  obe- 
dience, troops  of  friends.' 


BIS  SICKNESS  AND  DBA  TR.  515 

"Spared  to  outlive  envy,  silence  and  calumny  ;  spared  to  advocate  with  his 
pen  (a  mightier  weapon  in  his  hand  than  the  sword)  the  cause  a  people  that 
he  loved ;  while  illustrating  the  law, '  be  thou  chaste  as  ice,  as  pure  as  snow, 
thou'lt  not  escape  calumny,'  it  was  his  compensation  that  Beauvoir,  his 
home  beside  the  Mississippi  sound,  became  a  Mecca  to  which  the  feet  of 
pilgrims  turned  from  his  own  and  other  lands.  And  all  who  came  felt  the 
charm  of  his  magnetic  presence,  of  the  union  of  dignity  and  suavity,  of 
sweetness  and  sincerity  of  elegance,  and  simplicity  that  made  him  in  man- 
ner perfect  and  in  address  complete. 

"As  a  Christian,  'a  devout  man  and  a  just,'  a  reverent  worshiper  of  his 
Lord  and  of  the  truth,  he  had  fulfilled  to  him  God's  promise  to  David,  who 
had  been  a  man  of  war  from  his  youth,  'With  long  life  will  I  satisfy  hiua 
and  show  him  my  salvation'  under  the  home  roof  of  a  friend  to  whom  his 
heart,  through  sixty  years,  had  been  tiedasthe  heart  of  David  to  Jonathan, 
he  fell  gently  jCsleep.  His  two  dear  daughters  were  absent,  the  one  we  call 
The  Daughter  of  the  Confederacy  across  the  sea.  But  the  one  nearest  in 
all  the  world  was  there,  giving  to  the  last  her  loving  ministry,  and  with  her 
that  friend  of  old  whose  home  was  as  his,  and  other  valued  friends  who  in 
that  supreme  hour  learned  that  >• 

The  chamber  where  the  good  man  meets  his  fate 

Is  privileged  beyond  the  common  wallcs 

Of  virtuous  life,  quite  on  the  verge  of  heaven. 

"To-morrow  we  will  follow  him,  with  solemn  and  reverent  tread  to  his 
temporary  tomb  ;  and  somehow  it  seems  to  me  that  his  final  resting  place, 
until  he  is  wakened  at  the  resurrection  of  the  just,  should  be  here  near  the 
mouth  of  the  great  river  on  whose  banks  at  Briarfield,  with  reading,  thought 
and  study  he  mewed  his  mighty  youth,  taking  thence  his  eagle  flight  ever 
after,  moving  upward  toward  the  sun. 

"His  name  and  fame  we  can  commit  to  mankind  and  time.  The  sugges- 
tion that  Me  leave  his  epitaph  to  the  future  and  have  him  for  the  present 
share  that  in  which,  in  the  tomb  of  the  Army  of  Tennessee,  our  ownDimitry 
has  crystallized  Albert  Sidney  Johnston's  character  and  career,  shared  by  the 
two  who  were  twin  in  spirit  and  one  in  affection,  if  they  are  placed  near 
together,  is  not  an  unfclicitous  conception. 

"  To  us,  comrades,  the  overarching  heavens  glitter  with  bright  symbols  of 
his  character  and  career.  It  moved  in  its  orbit  with  the  steadiness  of  a  star 
in  its  course;  like  to  a  liquid  planet,  it  lighted  the  earth  beneath  with  the 
serene  shining  of  its  brightening  way,  and  when  its  course  was  run  its  set- 
ting was  as  the  setting  of  earth's  golden  sun — all  radiant  and  glorious  with 
the  brightness  and  beauty  of  its  evening  sky,  its  convoying  clouds  clothed 
with  light  and  bathed  in  splendor,  and  its  sinking  orb  encircled  with  a 
halo  of  heaven's  own  glory." 


6l6  IHE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

In  response  to  calls,  brief  speeches  were  also  made  by  Gen- 
eral S.  B.  Buckner,  of  Kentucky ;  General  T.  T.  Munford,  of  Vir- 
ginia ;  Dr.  J,  William  Jones,  of  Atlanta ;  General  S.  W.  Fergu- 
son, of  Mississippi ;  General  S.  D.  Lee,  of  Mississippi,  and 
Judge  Walter  H.  Rogers,  of  New  Orleans,  which  elicited  loud 
applause. 

THE  FLORAL  OFFERINGS. 

Never,  perhaps,  were  floral  offerings  at  a  funeral  more  pro- 
fuse or  more  beautiful.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  describe 
them  in  detail,  and  in  full,  but  we  give  the  following  from  the 
Times-Democrat  of  December  11th,  only  adding  that  a  large 
number  of  beautiful  designs  were  brought  in  after  this  was 
written : 

"The  great  stand  at  the  west  end  of  the  Council  Chamber,  heavily  draped 
in  black,  has,  from  the  very  hour  the  remains  arrived,  been  brightened  by 
a,  wealth  of  superb  flowers.  It  was  not  until  yesterday  noon,  however 
(hat  the  mass  of  floral  tributes  now  crowding  every  particle  of  available, 
f'pace  in  the  apartment  began  to  arrive.  From  mid-day  until  12  o'clock  last 
night  Sergeant  Hurley  was  kept  busy  bringing  in  the  magnificent  designs 
and  finding  place  for  them  in  the  flower-perfumed  death  chamber. 

"  The  picture  presented  as  the  setting  sun  sent  its  long  shafts  of  golden 
light  through  the  hall  of  mourning  was  beautiful  and  impressive.  A 
very  wall  of  roses  had  grown  up  on  all  sides  of  the  beloved  chief  ;  blossoms 
of  every  conceivable  tint  glorifying  the  room  and  ladening  the  soft  summer- 
]ike  breezes  stealing  through  with  rare  and  delicious  fragrance.  In  spite  of 
the  unusually  warm  weather  every  bloom  was  as  fresh  as  when  gathered  by 
loving  fingers  for  the  honored  dead.  Not  a  leaf  had  turned.  The  delicate 
petals  stood  firm  and  fair,  each  rose  and  lily  erect,  as  though  conscious  of 
the  dignity  of  their  mission. 

"Many  were  the  touching  incidents  connected  with  the  presentation  Of 
these  floral  ofi"erings.  AVith  tear-stained  cheeks  and  dimmed  eyes,  some 
stepped  quietly  up  to  the  big  table  near  the  door  and  laid  great  dewy  clus- 
ters of  hyacinths,  daisies  and  lilies  down  without  a  word  or  card  to  tell 
whence  they  came.  Not  a  few  handed  the  oflicers  near  hy  beautiful  bou- 
quets of  exotics,  and  in  voices  quivering  with  emotion  begged  they  might 
be  laid  near  their  departed  chief.  Nearly  all  murmured  apologies  for  the 
simplicity  of  their  gifts,  saying  they  knew  they  could  bring  nothing  worthy 
of  the  dead,  but  they  loved  him  who  was  gone  and  gave  what  they  had. 


THE  FLORAL  OFFEPxl^sQS.  617 

"When  the  public  school  teachers  came  after  3  o'clock,  each  one  had  a 
handful  of  flowers  she  reverently  laid  beside  the  bier.  Some  brought  vio- 
lets they  swept  gently  across  the  glass  lid  carrying  them  away  again  as 
cherished  souvenirs  of  the  solemn  occasion.  As  the  day  wore  on  hundreds 
of  bouquets  and  small  designs  were  counted  that  had  come  anonymously, 
no  line  or  sign  save  deep  spontaneous  affection  telling  from  whom  or  why 
they  wore  there.  After  all  these  seemed  the  most  affecting  of  the  scores  of 
gifts  given.  Without  a  care  for  any  personal  connection,  they  were  indiffer- 
ent save  that  their  mites  be  added  to  the  overflowing  devotion,  impelling 
a  united  people  to  illuminate  this  disappearance  of  all  that  is  mortal  of  a 
great  man  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

"Amidst  the  wealth  of  floral  designs  was  a  splendid  colossal  ornamental 
cross  eight  feet  in  height,  a  triumph  In  flowers,  and  as  noble  a  piece  of 
handiwork  as  was  ever  seen.  From  a  great  base  made  of  golden  wheat  and 
tall  fern  fronds  sprang  the  superb  shaft  and  arms  woven  of  yellow  rosebuds, 
white  camelias,  Roman  hyacinths,  forget-me-nots,  smilax,and  maiden  hair. 
Two  immense  palm  branches  supported  the  flowery  column,  a  dove  in  the 
hollow  centre  of  the  transverse  held  in  its  beak  a  long,  rich  silk  ribbon,  the 
floating  ends  of  which  was  caught  by  the  snowy  birds  poised  on  either  side. 
In  raised  purple  letters  on  the  narrow  white  scarf  were  traced  the  words, 
'  Sympathy  and  love  of  the  Confederate  Association  of  Missouri.' 

"  From  Captain  P.  A.  Alba,  of  JMobile,  was  sent  a  large  piece  exquisite  as  a 
cameo  inthe  taste  and  delicacy  of  its  fashioning.  The  arch  was  a  mass  of 
gorgeous  white  camelias  studding  a  back  ground  of  mignonette, ox-eyed  daisies 
and  maiden  hair  fern.  This  was  four  feet  in  height,  with  gates  ajar  woven 
of  the  same  flowers  as  the  arch  and  base.  Across  the  flowers  lay  a  broad 
satin  band  with  the  words :  '  Peaceful  be  thy  rest.'  The  cotton  used  in 
packing  could  not  be  entirely  removed  and  left  a  fine  veiling  of  the  fabric 
over  the  flowers. 

"  The  most  aristocratic  of  the  numerous  pieces  was  a  dainty  tribute  from 
t lie  "Woman's  Jefferson  Davis  Circle.  The  base  was  of  j'ellow  wheat,  the 
viol  above  of  daisies  and  feathery  immortelles.  The  dove,  with  out-spread 
wings  above,  had  an  ivy  leaf  in  its  bill  and  a  ribbon  lettered  with  the  ini- 
tials of  the  society. 

"In  a  graceful  arch  of  rich  purple  immortelles  swnng  a  golden  gate  of 
chrysanthemum?,  a  charming  piece  of  floral  work  sent  by  the  Sons  and 
Daughters  of  Veterans  Louisiana  Artillery,  Army  Northern  Virginia,  with 
the  inscription, '  To  the  hero  of  our  fathere.' 

"Two  broad  palm  branches  towered  above  a  flowery  square  of  beautiful 
flowers,  making  the  design  sent  by  Cattery  B,  Louisiana  Field  Artillery, 
fjlly  four  feet  in  height.  V^'itliin  the  arch  were  the  gates  of  yellow  chry- 
santhemums. A  bird  of  snov.y  ]ilumage,  under  the  shadow  of  the  pal  ma 
held  the  ribbon  with  Battery  B's  name. 


Sit  2EE  DAVIS  MEMOBIAL  VOLUME. 

"From  McDonogh  High  School,  No,  3,  came  a  shield  of  glo\ring  red 
roses,  crossed  by  a  sabre  of  violets — its  shield  of  yellow  blossoms.  The 
palm  leaf  and  dove  completed  the  beauty  of  the  piece. 

"A  pillow  of  ivy,  bearing  a  crescent  of  white  jessamine  blooms,  with  a 
palm  branch  and  sheaf  of  wheat,  represents  the  Girls'  High  School. 

"  Mrs.  Samuel  Delgardo,  a  broad  vase  of  flowers,  an  anchor  surmounted 
by  a  crown. 

"  Forbes  Bivouac,  of  the  Tennessee  Veterans'  Association,  J.  J.  Crussman, 
president,  sent  a  heart  of  tuberoses  upon  a  plaque  of  .Marechal  Neil  buds 
and  smilax  with  a  sheaf  of  grain  caught  in  a  scythe  of  flowers.  A  big, 
beautiful  wreath  of  rose  geraniums  and  Southern  garden  flowers  brought 
rom '  Beauvoir,'  the  dead  statesman's  home,  hung  between  the  two  side 
windows  over  against  the  catafalque.  Mrs.  H.  W.  W.  Reynolds,  a  mother 
deeply  bereaved  by  the  loss  of  her  son  in  the  army,  sent  a  wreath  of  oak 
leaves  with  the  red,  white  and  red  in  ribbons  crossed  in  the  centre. 

"  A  cross  of  camelias,  roses  and  chrysanthemums  had  a  card  attached 
with  the  words  '  For  my  dear  old  Confederate  chieftain,'  from  Mrs.  "Wm. 
E.  Jackson,  Augusta,  Ga. 

"One  of  the  noblest  and  grandest  of  the  many  superb  designs  was  re 
ceived  from  the  students  of  the  Jesuit  College — a  colossal  urn  five  feet  high, 
woven  of  the  finest  African  immortelles,  its  grace  and  surpassing  beauty 
attracted  universal  attention  and  admiration.  A  blazing  cross  of  coral 
honeysuckle  decorated  the  graceful  bowl,  from  which  sprung  delicate 
handles  of  pink  buds.  From  the  full  throat  of  the  vase  rose  a  huge  cluster 
of  dewy  duchess  roses,  lilies  and  ferns.  A  Latin  inscription  was  traced 
along  the  base. 

"The  Dyker  Institute  contributed  a  charming  anchor  and  cross^  with  flut- 
tering white  ribbons.  The  Ladies'  Confederate  Memorial  Association  was 
represented  by  an  original  and  a  very  lovely  piece— weights  and  balances  of 
scarlet  and  white  flowers,  the  card  accompanying  it  inscribed,  'A  tribute  of 
love  and  loyalty  to  the  memory  of  our  honored  and  illustrious  President, 
Jeflerson  Davis.'  The  dark -green  ivy  foundation  threw  into  high  relief  the 
brilliancy  of  the  finely-woven  flowers.  Mrs.  "William  H.  Carroll  and  Miss 
Mattie  McKay,  a  floral  tribute,  with  love  and  sympathy  expressed.  Miss 
Leovy,  a  bouquet.  From  the  Girls'  High  School  another  design,  a  beauti- 
ful plaque  of  roses.  'Ich  Dicn,'  circle  of  King's  Daughters,  a  handsome 
bouquet  of  palms,  ferns,  and  fragrant  white  jessamme,  the  rare  cluster  tied 
with  dark  violet  ribbons. 

"  From  Mrs.  George  Nicholson,  a  magnificent  screen  of  variegated  blossoms, 
with  a  gorgeous  cluster  of  pale-pink  roses  pinned  to  the  centre.  The 
Woman's  Club  presented  a  pillow  of  freshly-cut  roses,  the  word  *  Finis ' 
wrought  in  delicate  immortelles  down  in  one  corner,  A  basket  of  greens 
and  roses,  with  long,  swinging  handle,  sent  anonymously. 


TEE  FLORAL  OFFERINGS.  619 

"Mrs.  Luther  Mansbip's  name,  as  vice-president  of  the  Confederate  Memo- 
rial Association  of  Mississippi,  was  attached  to  a  tall,  handsome  scroll  of 
roses,  with  flowers  for  the  patriot,  soldier,  and  statesman.  A  broken  column 
of  white  blossoms,  five  feet  high,  with  a  crescent,  bore  the  signature  of  J.S. 
Richardson.  Mrs.  Charles  E.  Bateson,  of  New  York,  a  bouquet ;  Mrs.  Peter 
Francesco  Pescud,  a  bouquet;  Mrs.  J.  H.  Stauffer,  a  bouquet,  with  sympa- 
thy; INIrs.  King  and  Miss  Annie  King,  a  bouquet;  Mrs.  Andrew  Stewart,  a 
big  pillow  of  roses. 

"The  Veterans  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  sent  a  wreath  of  bay 
leaves,  with  the  red,  white,  and  red.  Confederate  States  Cavalry,  a  fair 
crown  and  cresent  above  a  rich  flowery  base  of  yellow  chrysanthemums. 
Three  boxes  of  loose  rare  cut  flowers  from  Mrs.  Thomas  H.  Allen,  and  IMrs. 
Thomas  H.  Allen,  Jr.  Mrs.  John  McEnery,  a  beautiful  shield  of  half-blown 
roses,  and  the  red,  white,  and  red  in  rich  silk  ribbons. 

"  From  Mrs.  JN.  E.  Staufl'er,  a  cross  of  white  flowers.  Two  exquisite  designs 
came  from  McDonogh  School  No.  8,  saying  the  tributes  were  'For  one 
whom  the  little  children  loved.'  Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  H.  Kennedy,  palms  and 
roses,  artistically  woven  together.  The  teachers  of  the  High  School  also 
sent  a  graceful  arrangement  of  rosea  and  palms. 

''A  large  wreath  of  light  blae  and  pale  gold  immortelles  duplicated  the 
handsome  badge  worn  by  the  famous  Washington  Artillery,  and  occupied 
the  place  of  honor  in  the  black  screen  in  the  west  end  of  the  Council 
Chamber.  The  Savannah  (Georgia)  Veteran  Association  sent  a  sumptuous 
wreath  of  camelias  encircling  a  pillow  of  roses,  on  which  was  outlined  in 
purple  immortelles  the  words,  '  Our  President.'  Beneath  were  woven  the 
Confederate  battle-flags,  tied  with  a  bit  of  crape.  The  Washington  Girls' 
School,  No.  1,  an  anchor  and  cross  of  roses  and  ferns. 

"The  Boys'  High  School  was  lavish  in  its  tribute,  sending  a  huge  book,  two 
feet  square,  of  flowers,  with  clasps  and  back  of  purple  immortelles.  A  cluster 
of  perfect  roses  adorned  the  upper  lid,  and  completed  one  of  the  handsomest 
of  the  many  superb  designs. 

"From  the  medical  department  of  Tulane  University  came  a  tall  easel 
holding  a  rose  shield,  crossed  by  a  long  sabre  of  fine  blossoms,  and  a  dove 
poised  above  the  elegant  arrangement.  Although  it  made  no  show  what- 
ever among  the  host  of  gorgeous  floral  designs  that  crowded  the  still  stately 
death-chamber,  no  single  tribute  sent  to  the  dead  ex-President  breathed  a 
purer  or  more  fervent  spirit  of  love  than  came  with  a  modest  box  expressed 
from  South  Carolina.  When  opened  it  was  found  to  contain  two  bunches 
of  sweet  violets,  packed  in  wet  sponge  to  keep  them  fresh,  and  the  simple 
words,  'From  an  old  soldier  and  his  son.'  Another  inconspicuous  gift  came 
inscribed,  'The  poor  widow's  mite  to  the  chief  of  our  cherished  Confede- 
racy.   E.  M.  C 


620  THE  DA  VIS  MEMOBIAL  VOL  UME. 

"Among  the  very  handsome  designs  was  a  pillow  of  roses,  hyacinths,  came- 
lias,  and  carnations,  with  a  crown  of  violets  on  a  cross  and  palm  leaves  four 
feet  high,  sent  by  the  Richmond  R.  E.  Lee  Camp. 

"During  the  afternoon  the  distinguished  tragedian,  Frederick  "Warde, 
visited  the  hall  and  asked  for  permission  to  view  the  remains,  in  order  to 
make  a  carefal  study  of  the  dead  statesman's  face.  Mayor  Shakspeare  granted 
the  right,  hut  before  passing  to  the  bier  Mr.  Ward  added  to  the  already  over- 
flowing wealth  of  flowers  Avith  a  sphere  of  charming  half-blown  roses  hand- 
somely arranged. 

"The  Quarante  Club  sent  a  splendid  model  of  the  old  Confederate  flag  in 
exquisite  flowers,  three  feet  high,  made  of  bravadiers,  white  jessaminesand 
delicate  ferns.  The  Boys'  High  School  sent  yet  another  tribute,  a  pillow  of 
natural  roses,  cornelian  pinks,  violets  and  smilax,  with  handsome  hya- 
cinths. 

"  From  South  Carolina  came  a  pyramid  of  snow-white  blossoms,  palms  in 
the  centre,  beneath  which  were  crossed  canons,  and  the  words  South  Caro- 
lina in  red. 

"The  Louisiana  Historical  Association,  of  which  Mr.  Davis  was  chairman, 
sent  a  great  chair  of  the  rarest  blossoms,  tall  and  gracefully  designed,  a 
most  costly  and  imposing  piece,  that  made  a  fine  appearance. 

"  The  Louisiana  Sugar  and  Rice  Exchange  ofiered  a  large  massive  wreath 
of  half-opened  roses,  with  crossed  trumpets  resting  on  the  broad  dark  green 
palm  leaves,  and  the  words  'Ad  Sum.' 

"  A  tall,  splendid  white  cross,  four  feet  high,  surmounted  by  a  crown  of 
crimson  roses  came  from  Mayor  Ellyson,  of  Richmond,  Va. 

"Texas'  floral  tribute  to  the  illustrious  dead  is  magnificent.  It  is  made  of 
the  finest  flowers,  all  fresh  from  the  gardens,  forming  the  neatest  and  most 
appropriate  ofl'ering  at  the  bier  of  the  gallant  chieftain.  The  design  is  three 
feet  wide  and  is  set  upon  a  solid  base  of  flowers,  making  in  all  about  six 
feet  in  height.  The  large  lone  star,  made  of  white  monte-flora  jessamines, 
tinted  with  delicate  pink  and  white  bouvardias,  has  a  raised  centre  of  Mare- 
chal"  Keil  roses  and  maiden-hair  ferns,  and  between  the  points  of  the  star 
are  raised  letters  in  crimson  bouvardias  bearing  the  name,  Texas  This  is 
all  gracefully  set  upon  a  field  of  sweet  alyssum,  and  the  whole  encircled  by 
a  green  wreath  of  laurel  and  oak. 

"  The  design  is  beautifully  mounted  upon  a  large  base  of  pure  white  flowers 
of  difierent  varieties.  The  effect  is  splendid,  and  well  worthy  of  the  grand 
State  from  which  it  comes.  It  is  well  that  the  gallant  hero  whose  pure  life 
was  an  offering  upon  the  altar  of  the  sunny  land  he  loved  so  well  sleeps 
softly  beneath  its  loveliest  flowers,  which  are  sprinkled  with  the  tears  of 
veterans  who  followed  our  standard  in  an  honorable  contest,  and  now  weep 
at  the  honored  grave  of  our  chief. 

"  Mr.  R.  Maitre  gave  a  wreath  of  mixed  oak  and  laurel.  Cobb's  Kentucky 
Battalion  remembered  the  dead  statesman  with  a  magnificent  floral  harp, 


THE  J^EW  ORLEANS  RESOLUTIONS.  521 

six  feet  high,  all  of  natural  flowers,  roses  and  bravardiers,  with  a  spray  of 
oak  leaves  in  the  centre.  The  Kappa  Sigma  Fraternity  of  Tulane  Uni%'er- 
sity  sent  a  star  and  crescent  four  feet  high.  In  the  centre  of  the  star  were  the 
initials  '  K.  E.,'  and  worked  in  white  jessamine,  their  badge  and  the  Tulane 
colors. 

"Dallas,  Tex.,  sent  her  floral  oSering  in  the  shape  of  a  massive  ship 
made  of  natural  flowers,  which  arrived  at  11  o'clock  last  night.  Flying 
from  the  masthead  was  the  emblematic  words,  '  The  Lost  Cause/  '  Ship  of 
State.'    It  is  one  of  the  finest  pieces  received." 

THE    NEW   ORLEANS   RESOLUTIONS. 

"We  can  only  find  space  for  a  few  of  the  resolutions  adopted 
by  the  various  organizations  of  the  city. 

The  Bench  and  Bar  Association  adopted  the  following 
after  eloquent  and  appropriate  speeches  from  Chief-Justice 
Bermudez,  Judge  Walter  H.  Rogers,  Associate-Justice  Poche, 
and  Hon.  Thomas  J.  Semmes  : 

"■Resolved,  by  the  Bench  and  Bar  of  Louisiana,  That  we  deplore  the  loss  of 
Jeflerson  Davis,  the  venerable  ex-President  of  the  late  Confederate  States, 
who  departed  this  life  in  the  city  of  New  Orleans  on  the  6th  day  of  Decem- 
ber, 18S9,  in  the  eighty -second  year  of  his  age,  honored  and  revered  by  the 
people,  who,  with  abiding  faith,  had  entrusted  him  with  their  lives,  their 
fortunes  and  their  honor.  Although  misfortune  attended  the  cause  of 
which  he  was  the  chivalrous  representative,  we  regard  with  satisfaction  and 
pride  the  spotless  integrity  and  resolute  devotion  to  duty  which  character- 
ized his  career  through  life,  and  we  emphatically  approve  the  manly  senti- 
ments expressed  by  him  in  the  last  public  paper  which  emanated  from  his 
pen:  'Instead  of  being  traitors,  we  were  loyal  to  our  States;  instead  of 
being  rebels  against  the  Union,  we  were  defenders  of  the  Constitution  as 
framed  by  its  founders  and  expounded  by  them.  We  do  not  fear  the  ver> 
diet  of  posterity  on  the  purity  of  our  motives,  or  the  sincerity  of  our  belief, 
which  our  sacrifices  and  our  career  sufficiently  attested.' 

"  Resolved,  That  we  tender  the  family  of  the  deceased  the  assurance  of  our 
sincere  sympathy. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  chairman  transmit  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  to  the 
family  of  the  deceased,  and  that  we  attend  the  funeral  in  a  body,  as  a  trib- 
ute of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis." 

Tlje  Veteran  Confederate  Cavalry  Association  adopted  the 
following : 

"  Whereas,  The  wise  Ruler  of  the  Universe  has  seen  fit  to  take  from  us  our 
beloved  comrade  and  late  illustrious  Commander-in-chief  Jefi'erson  Davia ; 


522  TllE  DA  VIS  MEMOBIAL   VOL  UME. 

that  while  bowing  to  the  inscrutable  will  and  omniscient  wisdom  of  the 
giver  of  all  things,  we  desire  to  leave  upon  record  a  testimonial,  showing  the 
undying  afTection  and  esteem  which  we  cherished  for  him  while  living,  and 
for  his  hallowed  memory,  not  alone  for  his  peerless  ability,  dauntless  cour- 
age and  grand  career,  but  added  to  these  his  gentleness,  resignation.  Chris- 
tian virtues  and  splendid  characteristics,  all  of  which  rank  his  one  of  the 
most  illustrious  names,  coupled  as  it  is  with  truth,  justice  and  honor,  which 
the  world  has  ever  produced. 

'''Resolved,  That  honored  as  this  association  is  by  having  his  name  on  the 
roll  of  its  membership,  we  will  cherish  his  name,  his  fame  and  his  memory 
as  the  most  priceless  legacy  which  has  been  handed  down  to  us  and  to  our 
children. 

"  Resolved,  That  all  the  members  of  this  association  go  in  a  body,  as  a  guard 
and  bivouac  the  last  night  on  earth  with  the  mortal  remains  of  the  late  Hon. 
Jefferson  Davis." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Board  of 
Trade  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted : 

"  Jefferson  Davis  is  dead.  The  patriot,  the  hero,  the  statesman  has  gone  to 
the  bourne  whence  none  return  and  no  more  shall  be  seen  of  us  to  command 
respectful  homage  and  admiration,  and  while  we  mourn  the  great  loss  sus- 
tained by  our  people,  we  feel  that  his  life  and  memory  are  embalmed  in  the 
hearts  of  his  countrymen,  and  that  his  name  and  patriotism  shall  never 
perish  so  long  as  the  spirit  of  liberty  shall  remain  the  foundation  upon 
which  our  government  shall  rest. 

"Therefore  we  bow  with  reverence  to  the  will  of  God  and  tender  to  the 
widow  and  daughters  of  deceased  our  heartfelt  sympathy  and  condolence, 
assuring  them  that  their  future  welfare  shall  always  remain  dear  to  the 
people  of  the  South,  and  be  guarded  by  them  as  a  sacred  treasure,  worthy 
the  keeping  of  a  chivalrous  and  devoted  people. 

"  That  record  be  made  of  these  proceedings  on  the  irunutcs  of  the  New 
Orleans  Board  of  Trade,  Limited,  and  that  copies  thereof  be  engrossed  and 
delivered  to  the  wife  and  daughters  of  Mr.  Davis. 

"  The  following  was  also  adopted : 

"  Resolved,  To  close  the  Board  of  Trade,  Limited,  on  "Wednesday  next,  and 
that  the  flag  be  placed  at  half-mast,  and  the  entrance  to  and  the  Board 
rooms  be  draped  in  mourning  for  thirty  days. 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  law  class  of  Tulane  University,  the  following  reso- 
lutions were  adopted : 

"  Whereas,  The  South  has  been  called  upon  to  mourn  the  death  of  the  lion. 
JeflFerson  Davis,  President  of  the  Confederate  States,  we,  the  students  of  the 
law  department  of  Tulane  University,  desirous  of  adding  oar  humble  trib- 
ute to  the  memory  of  the  distinguished  dead,  hereby  resolve  that  in  recog- 


THE  NEW  ORLEANS  RESOLUTIONS,  528 

nition  of  the  services  that  he  has  rendered  to  this  and  our  sister  States,  and 
with  a  due  sense  of  appreciation  of  that  martyrdom  which  he  suffered  for 
principles  dear  to  us  all,  with  a  knowledge  of  his  abilities  as  a  statesman, 
his  heroism  as  a  soldier  and  his  virtues  as  a  Christian,  do  lament  his  depart- 
ure from  among  tkose  who  loved  and  revered  him;  be  it  further 

"  Resolved,  'i  hat  we  do  offer  to  his  wife  and  family  our  deepest  sympathy  and 
affection  in  this  moment  of  bereavement;  and  it  is  further 

"  Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  spread  on  the  minutes  of  this 
law  class,  and  a  copy  be  sent  to  Mrs.  Davis. 

"  Wm.  K.  Horn,  Chairman;  Geo.  K.  Favrot,  John  Dymond,  Jr.,  Wm.  L. 
Hughes,  Marshall  J.  Gasquet. 

"The  law  class  will  attend  the  funeral  in  a  body. 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  New  Orleans  Stock  Exchange,  the  following  resolu- 
tions, introduced  by  Mr.  Durant  Da  Ponte,  were  unanimously  adopted : 

•'  Whereas,  In  ^e  course  of  nature  it  has  pleased  the  Almighty  to  remove 
from  among  us  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis,  a  man  who,  by  the  purity  of  his  char- 
acter and  the  eminence  of  his  intellect,  had  earned  a  recognized  place,  not 
only  in  the  anthology  of  his  country,  but  among  the  great  figures  of  history, 
and,  at  the  grave  of  such  a  man,  animosities  should  be  forgotten  and  criticism 
disarmed ;  therefore. 

"Be  it  resolved,  That  the  members  of  this  Exchange  participate  in  the  uni- 
versal grief  which  this  loss  should  entail  upon  the  nation ;  and  that  they 
are  confident  that,  as  the  memory  of  their  lamented  leader  is  now  revered 
by  the  people  of  the  South,  so,  in  the  time  to  come,  it  M'ill  be  to  all  Ameri- 
cans an  illustration  of  the  virtues  which  adorn  and  the  intellect  which 
exalts  the  human  character. 

"  Be  it  further  resolved,  That  we  tender  our  deepest  sympathy  to  the  bereaved 
family  of  the  deceased,  and  that  the  secretary  of  the  Exchange  be 
instructed  to  present  to  them  a  copy  of  these  resolutions. 

*'  At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  New  Orleans  Cotton 
Exchange  the  following  was  unanimously  adopted: 

"  The  members  of  the  New  Orleans  Cotton  Exchange,  individually  and  as  a 
bod}',  join  in  the  universal  mourning  at  the  demise  of  a  great  and  good  man, 
Jefferson  Davis.  Although  full  of  years  and  arrived  at  a  time  when  his 
removal  from  our  midst  in  the  ordinary  course  of  nature  couid  scarcely 
have  been  prolonged  for  a  much  greater  period,  his  loss  is  felt  none  the  less 
keenly,  and  we  share  in  the  profound  sorrow  which  prevails  throughout  the 
South  at  the  death  of  the  man  who  has  for  so  many  years  held  so  promi- 
nent a  place  before  the  people.  "Without  touching  upon  any  of  the  great 
questions  of  which  Mr.  Davis  was  a  partial  embodiment,  as  business  men 
and  representatives  of  many  sections  at  home  and  abroad,  we  view  Mr. 
Davis  in  the  light  of  one  who  possessed  the  affection  and  reverence  of  the 
South,  and  sincerely  participate  in  the  sorrow  at  his  loss.    Mr.  Davis's 


624  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

career  is  too  •well  known  to  every  man,  woman,  and  child  of  this  section  to 
need  even  a  partial  recital  at  our  hands.  Clearer  heads  and  abler  braina 
will  do  all  this,  and  history  will  afford  the  true  meed  of  praise  for  his  great- 
ness. 

"We  mourn  with  our  fellow-citizens  and  friends. 

"  On  motion  it  was  ordered  that  the  above  be  spread  on  the  minutes  of  the 
Exchange ;  also  that  it  be  published  and  a  copy  thereof  sent  to  the  family 
of  Mr.  Davis. 

"  Charles  Chaffe,  President. 
"  Hexry  G.  Hester,  Secretary. 

-  "  At  the  same  time  and  place  it  was 

'■  Resolved,  To  close  ihe  Exchange  at  12  o'clock  on  Wednesday  next,  and 
that  the  flag  be  placed  at  half-mast  and  the  front  of  the  Exchange  draped  in 
mourning  until  the  day  after  the  funeral. 

"We,  the  undersigned  colored  citizens  of  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  La., 
desire  to  lay  our  tribute  of  honor  and  to  join  in  the  universal  feeling  which 
pervades  this  Southern  country,  of  which  we  are  and  intend  to  be  beneficent 
factors,  to  the  memory  of  the  great  and  good  man,  Jefferson  Davis,  recently 
passed  from  us,  whose  memory  will  be  guarded  by  us  as  by  all. 

"  Signed  by  G.  J.  McCree,  John  Lasalle,  INIichael  Kirk, Hooks,  Michael 

Fitzgerald,  Christian  Rheinhard,  C.  Ingraham,  J.  B.  Chandler,  Charles  W. 
Davis,  C.  Foster,  D.  Mullett,  C.  J.  Strange,  Frank  Carson,  J.  M.  Eobinson, 
William  Davis,  Robert  Johnson. 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  Faculty  of  the  Academic  Department  of  Tulane  Uni- 
versity the  following  resolutions,  were  unanimously  adopted: 

"  Resolved,  1.  That  tlie  Faculty  of  Tulane  University  adds  a  voice  of  sympa- 
thy to  the  general  expression  of  sorrow  felt  throughout  the  South  at  the 
death  of  Jefferson  Davis. 

"Resolved,  2.  That  in  those  personal  characteristics  which  have  endeared 
him  to  the  people  of  the  South,  his  integrity,  his  self-poise,  his  gentleness 
and  urbanity,  his  warm  interest  in  all  that  tends  to  uplift  humanity,  his 
firm  but  unobtrusive  piety,  his  fearless  and  constant  advocacy  of  principles 
which  he  deemed  great,  strong  and  fundamental,  whether  for  individual 
conduct  in  private  life  or  for  the  directions  of  public  affairs,  we  recognize 
the  loftiest  type  of  a  Christian  manhood  and  an  American  statesman. 

"  Resolved,  3.  In  the  public  services  rendered  by  Jefferson  Davis  not  only  to 
the  Southern  people,  but  to  the  cause  of  representative  government  every- 
where, we  recognize  that  noble  purpose  and  lofty  aim  which  may  well 
become  the  study  and  example  of  the  youth  of  the  country,  assured  that 
in  the  life  in  which  he  lived  and  the  principles  which  he  illustrated  through 
long  and  eventful  years,  through  gain  and  loss,  through  prosperity  and 
adversity,  peace  and  in  war  truth  is  stronger  than  time,  more  enduring  tha,n 
success,  and  must  at  the  end  lead  to  its  own  vindic9,tioo. 


THE  NEW  ORLEANS  RESOLUTIONS.  625 

"Resolved,  4.  That  fur  the  exercise  of  those  virtues  which  make  a  private 
life  of  public  worth,  and  for  those  noble  qualities  which  make  of  public 
services  a  private  benefaction,  we  hold  the  name  of  Jefferson  Davis  in  our 
warmest  affection,  as  in  our  highest  esteem,  and  extend  to  his  bereaved 
family  and  friends  our  earnest  sympathy  and  respectful  condolence. 

"  Resolved,  5.  That  the  university  buildings  be  appropriately  draped,  that 
all  exercises  of  the  academic  department  be  suspended  on  "Wednesday, 
11th,  the  day  ol  the  funeral,  and  that  the  officers, faculty  and  students  unite 
fts  a  body  in  participating  in  the  public  exercises  appointed  for  that  day. 

"  Resolved,  6.  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  minutes  of  the  fac- 
ulty, and  a  copy  sent  to  the  family  of  Mr.  Davis." 

•'  At  a  meeting  of  the  students  of  the  Medical  Department  of  Tulane  Uni- 
versity, a  committee  consisting  of  Messrs.  E.  C.  Hunt,  chairman ;  F.  D. 
Smythe,  Secretary ;  J.  J.  Stevens,  J.  A.  K.  Birchett,  J.  R.  Jiggetts,  G.  R. 
Eckles,  R.  D.  Session,  N.  S.  Walker,  Mississippi ;  II.  B.  Wallet,  E.  D.  Fenner, 
II.  S.  Lewis,  Louisiana  ;  E.  Jowen,  Georgia;  C.  A.  Jeffries,  South  Carolina; 
D.  W,  Coter,  North  Carolina ;  F.  M.  Thigpen,  Alabama ;  II.  C.  Black,  Texas ; 
J.  S.  Davis,  Virginia ;  E.  J.  Reeves,  Arkansas ;  McKinstry,  Florida ;  J.  T. 
Waffer,  Kentucky;  R.  T.  I.-sbester,  Tennessee  ;  W.  T.Adams, California,  and 
P.  Arnold,  Illinois,  were  appointed  to  draft  suitable  resolutions  expi-essive 
of  the  regret  of  the  association  at  the  death  of  the  ex-President.  Their 
report,  which  was  unanimously  adopted,  was  as  follows: 

"Whereas  we  have  learned  with  profound  regret  of  the  death  of  the  illus- 
trious statesman,  Jefferson  Davis ;  therefore  be  it 

"Resolved,  That  we  mourn  with  the  whole  South  the  death  of  the  man 
that  for  so  many  years  has  occupied  the  highest  place  in  the  respect  and 
affection  of  the  Southern  people,  whose  interests  and  well-being  were  ever 
the  subjects  of  his  deepest  solicitude.  The  South  has  lost  in  him  the  man 
that  was  the  peculiar  representative  of  her  ideas  in  that  great  struggle  for 
those  rights  which  she  deemed  inalienably  hers,  and  for  which  she  freely 
poured  forth  the  best  blood  of  her  sons  and  sacrificed  the  whole  of  her 
material  prosperity.  On  his  shoulders  not  only  fell  a  tremendous  share  of 
the  cares  and  responsibilities  of  the  great  struggle,  but  when  the  arbitration 
of  the  sword  had  solved  the  vexed  questions  that  convulsed  the  nation, 
his  was  the  burden  of  the  reproach  and  obloquy  so  freely  showered.  How 
his  burden— grievous  as  it  was — was  bravely  and  uncomplainingly  borne, 
is  known  to  all  mankind.  History  shall  do  justice  to  his  honesty  and  sin- 
gleness of  purpose,  his  inflexible  moral  courage,  his  devotion  to  the  ideas 
which  he  represented.  It  is  with  pride  that  we,  as  Americana,  can  point 
to  a  record  so  consistent,  so  blameless,  as  that  of  the  great  old  man  who 
has  gone  to  his  rest : 

"  His  life  was  gentle,  and  the  clemenls 
Bo  misea  in  nim  that  Natures  might  stand  up 
And  Eay  to  all  tb«  world :    '  This  waa  a  mas.* " 


526  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  tender  the  bereaved  faaiily  our  sincere  and  heartfelt' 
sympathy  in  this  their  great  affliction.  "While  theirs  is  the  greatest  loss,  may 
it  console  them  to  know  that  thousands  of  other  hearts  share  in  their  sor- 
-row  and  bereavement. 

"  Resolved,  That  wc  request  the  faculty  to  suspend  all  exercises  on  the 
day  of  the  interment,  and  that  we  attend  the  funeral  in  a  body. 

"In  the  civil  district  court  the  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the 
illustrious  dead  was  indeed  heartfelt.  Judges  Monroe,  Eightor,  Voorhies, 
Ellis,  and  King  met  in  chambers  and  decided  that  "each  division  should 
adjourn. 

"Judge  INIonroe  ordered  the  following  entry  made  in  the  minutes  of  his 
court : 

"Considering  that  Almighty  God  has  seen  fit  in  his  wisdom  to  call  from 
earth  the  soul  of  a  citizen  w'ho,  during  a  long  life  devoted  to  the  service  of 
his  fellow-men,  ever  attracted  the  aflfection  and  commanded  the  respect  of 
those  whom  he  served ;  that  this,  our  community,  and  this,  our  country,  are 
to-day  mourning  a  soldier  who  knew  no  fear;  a  statesman  whose  eminent 
services  they  are  proud  to  recognize,  and  a  patriot  whose  virtues  have  shed 
lustre  upon  history  itself ;  considering  that,  in  the  death  of  Jefferson  Davis, 
the  bench  and  the  bar,  republican  government,  and  all  those  who  love  their 
country,  have  alike  sustained  an  irreparable  loss,  and  unite  in  a  common 
sorrow,  and  in  a  common  desire  to  pay  that  respect  which  is  due  to  so  great 
and  so  melancholy  an  occasion,  it  is  ordered  that  business  in  this  court  be 
suspended  and  the  court  stand  adjourned. 

"The  other  judges  also  made  appropriate  entries  upon  the  minutes  of  the 
court." 

Delegations  and  individuals  from  all  of  the  Confederate 
States  continued  to  pour  in  up  to  the  morning  of  the  funeral, 
until  the  hotels  were  all  full,  and  the  great  city  was  crowded 
with  visitors. 

Streams  of  visitors  continued  to  pour  by  the  bier  until  the 
doors  were  closed  on  Wednesday  morning  for  the  funeral  obse- 
quies. 

THE    FUNEEAL    OBSEQUIES 

AVednesday  morning,  December  12th,  was  one  of  the  most 
beautiful,  balmy  days  of  the  year,  and  it  was  a  notable  day  in 
the  annals  of  our  Southland ;  for  we  laid  in  the  tomb  the  pre- 
cious dust  of  our  grand  old  chief,  while  in  every  city  and  town 
appropriate  memorial  services  were  held. 


THE  FUN-ERA L  OBSEQUIES.  .^27 

We  cull  from  the  report  of  the  Times-Democrat  the  following 
very  full,  accurate^  and  deeply  interesting  account  of  the  obse- 
quies : 

"A  seemingly  endless  line  of  sorrowing  admirers  who  have  passed  through 
the  Council  Chamber  by  tens  of  thousands  since  ttie  remains  of  Mr.  Davis 
were  first  conveyed  to  the  City  Hall  continued  yesterday  from  7  o'clock  in 
the  morning  until  the  clock  tolled  tho  houi  of  ten.  The  light  of  early 
day  illuminated  the  flower-scented  chamber  with  its  glory  of  December  roses 
was  as  fair  and  sweet  a  spot  as  could  be  found  on  earth.  In  spite  of  the 
immense  amount  of  detail  arrangements  attendant  on  preparations  for  the 
imposing  funeral  ceremonies,  the  utmost  quiet  prevailed.  No  hasty  tread 
or  discordant  tone  disturbed  the  solemnity  surrounding  the  cherished  dead. 

"  An  immense  concourse  of  residents  and  belated  visitors  passed  silently 
through,  and  for  |-hirty  minutes  after  an  order  had  been  issued  to  clear  the 
hall,  groups  of  six  and  tea  men  and  women  and  children  begged  so  earnestly 
for  admittance  that  until  the  last  minute  they  were  permitted  to  view  the 
body.  It  was  easy  to  distinguish  the  visiting  companies  of  militia,  whq 
came  in  small  detachments.  All  were  full  of  appreciation  of  the  dignity  ot 
the  occasion. 

"  Among  those  who  arrived  after  10  o'clock  was  Mrs.  Wheat.  The  vener- 
able  lady,  bent  and  trembling  under  a  weight  of  years,  was  supported  on 
the  arm  of  Mr.  Douglas  West,  and  when  she  passed  the  bier  her  sobs  were 
audible  all  over  the  room.  Two  conspicuous  and  distinguished  figures  were 
those  of  ]\Ir.  M.  U.  Payne,  of  Boone  county,  Mo.,  who  came  in  arm  in 
arm  with  his  aged  brother,  Mr.  J.  U.  Payne,  of  New  Orleans.  Both  are 
very  old  gentlemen,  and  had  been  close  and  life-long  friends  of  Mr.  Davis. 

"The  Mobile  Cadets,  the  Lomax  Rifles  with  their  chaplain,  Eev.  Mr.  G. 
C.  Tucker ;  the  First  Alabama  division,  the  Columbus  Rifles,  the  Mobile 
Rifles,  the  Gulf  City  Guards,  Montgomery  True  Blues,  Montgomery  Grays, 
the  Alabama  State  Artillery  in  a  body,  and  a  delegation  from  the  Young 
Men's  Benevolent  Association  were  among  those  last  to  go  through.  Mr.  L. 
Q.  C.  Lamar,  Jr.,  of  Mississippi,  and  Mrs.  A.  W.  Roberts,  a  neice  of  Mr. 
Davis,  also  passed. 

"Finally  the  time  drew  ne"r  for  the  opening  of  the  ceremonies.  All 
those  not  directly  connected  with  the  sad  duties  of  the  hour  were  rigidly 
excluded,  and  a  deeper  hush  fell  over  the  still  chamber.  The  military 
guard  was  doubled,  and  Mr.  A.  J.  Lewis,  as  President  of  the  Army  of  Ten- 
nessee, watched  at  the  head  of  the  bier. 

"So  quietly,  it  was  impossible  to  say  when  he  entered,  Father  Hubert 
came  for  a  last  visit  to  the  great  man  he  loved.  ]\Ir.  Lewis  at  once  surren- 
dered his  position,  and  with  his  gentle  countenance  deeply  moved  the  aged 
priest  prayed  long  and  fervently  over  the  still,  white  face  beneath  its  clear 


628  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

glass  Govcring.  Gradually  the  look  of  pain  wore  away  and  was  replaced  by  a 
glow  of  joy.  At  this  time  the  casket  was  covered  with  badj^es  from  the 
various  army  organizations  and  the  honey  bee  buzzed  bravely  in  the  heart 
of  a  great  cluster  of  loose  white  roses  heaped  over  the  patriot's  breast. 
Father  Hubert  also  gave  way,  and  no  sooner  had  Et.  Eev.  Bishop  Thomp- 
son and  Fathers  O'Connor,  Miles  and  O'Shannon  reverently  looked  upon 
the  dead,  than  at  a  signal  from  INIr.  James  G.  Clark  the  lid  was  brought  for- 
ward to  shut  the  face  of  Jefferson  Davis  away  forever  from  the  sight  of  the 
world. 

"The  Southern  Governors  filed  in  at  this  moment,  but  were  told  they  were 
too  late,  and  so  passed  on.  Soon  the  velvet  cover  was  complete,  and  after 
wrapping  the  old  army  flag  about  the  casket,  a  floral  design,  taken  at  ran- 
dom from  the  masses  near,  was  laid  over  all.  It  was  a  beautiful  and  fitting 
accident  of  fortune  that  the  emblem  thus  honored  proved  to  be  a  noble 
cross  of  white  jessamines  and  roses  sent  by  the  High  School  girls  of  New 
Orleans.  It  was  placed  on  the  coffin  by  Mr.  P.  F.  Alba,  of  Mobile,  with  the 
crossed  palm  leaves  sent  by  Mrs.  W.  H.  King,  just  after  Mr.  Davis's  death, 
which  has  never  once  been  removed. 

"Precisely  as  the  hour  struck  12  the  clergy  entered  the  Council  Chamber 
from  the  rear,  Rev.  J.  Gordon  Bakewell  walking  first,  and  fifteen  in  line,  all 
wearing  their  robes.  The  sight  was  deeply  impressive.  With  his  long  crape 
scarf,  Mr.  Lewis  stood  immovable  at  the  head,  while  Private  Pete  Mitchell, 
in  a  full  suit  of  Confederate  gray,  guarded  the  foot  of  the  bier.  After  the 
Episcopal  clergy  had  passed,  ministers  of  all  denominations  followed,  every 
church  and  religious  body  being  largely  represented. 

"At  this  moment  the  detachment  of  Louisiana  field  artillery  detailed  to 
bear  the  body  forth  formed  on  either  side  of  the  casket,  and  grasping  its 
heavy  silver  bars,  raised  the  beloved  remains  and  carried  the  cbief  away 
from  his  flower-crowned  resting  place.  With  slow  and  solemn  tread  the 
pall-bearers  walked  close  behind  the  coffin.  Among  them  Commodore  Hun- 
ter and  Dr.  Jones,  two  aged  gentlemen,  helping  each  other  to  follow  for  the 
last  time  their  adored  leader. 

"  The  hush  of  death  had  settled  in  the  great  corridor,  with  its  heavy 
draperies  of  fluttering  crape,  and  no  murmur  broke  the  stillness  as  the  sad 
procession  passed  out  toward  the  sunshine.  Reaching  the  stately  stone 
portico  of  the  City  Hall,  the  soldiers  tenderly  supported  their  precious  bur- 
den and  laid  it  down  in  the  eyes  of  the  assembled  multitudes.  The  garish 
light  of  day  fell  upon  a  striking  scene.  Nearly  all  of  those  near  to  the  dead 
were  elderly  men.  Faces  full  of  the  dignity  of  years  and  eyes  familiar  with 
wild  battle-fields  looked  with  misty  vision  upon  him  they  had  brought  forth 
to  the  people.  The  surpliced  clergymen  formed  in  a  wide  semi-circle  to  one 
side. 

"  The  young  soldiers  who  were  to  carry  him  hence  held  their  positions  beside 
the  bier.     The  two  bishops  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  casket,  while  pall- 


THE  PVymUL  OBSEQUIES.  529 

Wafers  and  ministers  of  all  denominations  crowded  the  upper  flights  of 
steps.  By  this  time  the  sun  was  throwing  its  clear,  powerful  mid-day  rays 
upon  the  hall,  blinding  all  those  facing  the  light,  but  illuminating  the  pic- 
ture for  the  crowds  viewing  it  from  a  distance. 

"As  the  great  deep-throated  bell  in  the  tall  spire  of  Dr.  Palmer's  church 
tolled  the  first  funeral  stroke,  a  minute-gun  was  fired,  and  from  the  lips  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Thompson,  of  Biloxi,  fell  those  words  of  divine  consolation,  begin- 
ning the  solemn  ritual  for  the  burial  of  the  dead : 

"I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  saith  the  Lord;  he  that  believeth  in 
Me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live :  and  whosoever  liveth  and 
believeth  in  Me,  shall  never  die." — St.  John  xi.,  25,  26. 

"Then  came  the  psalm,  as  sung  by  Rev.  Mr.  Thomas  R.  Martin,  with  hearty 
responses  from  the  united  clergy : 

"  Lord,  let  me  know  my  end  and  the  number  of  my  days,  that  I  may  be 
certified  how  lo^g  I  have  to  live. 

"  As  the  last  amen  was  said.  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  R.  Markham  read  the  lesson 
in  solemn  tones,  beginning  : 

"  I  Cor.,  XV.,  20 :  Now  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead  and  become  the  first 
fruits  of  them  that  slept. 

"  When  the  last  note  had  died  away  Right  Rev.  John  Nicholas  Galleher, 
Bishop  of  Louisiana,  stepped  a  trifle  forward  and  in  slow,  measured  accents, 
spoke  as  follows : 

"  When  we  utter  our  prayers  to-day  for  those  who  are  distressed  in  mind ; 
when  we  lift  our  petitions  to  the  Most  Merciful,  and  ask  a  benediction  on 
the  desolate,  we  remember  that  one  household  above  others  is  bitterly 
bereaved,  and  that  hearts  closely  knitted  to  our  own  are  deeply  distressed. 

"  For  the  master  of  Beauvoir  lies  dead  under  the  drooping  flag  of  the 
saddened  city ;  the  light  of  his  dwelling  has  gone  out  and  left  it  lonely  for 
all  the  days  to  come. 

"  Surely  we  grieve  with  those  who  weep  the  tender  tears  of  homely  pain 
and  trouble  and  there  is  not  a  sigh  of  the  Gulf  breeze  that  sways  the  swing- 
ing moss  on  the  cypress  trees  sheltering  their  home  but  finds  an  answer  in 
our  over-burdened  breathing. 

"  We  recall  with  sincerest  sympathy  the  wifely  woe  that  can  be  measured 
only  by  the  sacred  deeps  of  wifely  devotion ;  and  our  hearts  go  travelling 
across  the  heaving  Atlantic  seas  to  meet  and  comfort  if  we  might  the  child, 
who  coming  home,  shall  for  once  not  be  able  to  bring  all  the  sweet  splen- 
dors of  the  sunshine  with  her. 

"  Let  us  bend  with  the  stricken  household  and  pay  the  ready  tribute  of 
our  tears.  And  then,  acknowledging  the  stress  and  surge  of  a  people's 
sorrow,  say  that  the  stately  tree  of  our  Southern  wood,  planted  in  power, 
nourished  by  kindly  dews,  branching  in  brave  loxuriance  and  scarred  by 
many  storms  lies  uprooted  I 

84  


5S0  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

"The  end  of  a  long  and  lofty  life  has  come;  and  a  moving  volume  of 
human  histoiy  has  been  closed  and  clasped.  The  strange  and  suddendig- 
nity  of  death  has  been  added  to  the  fine  and  resolute  dignity  of  living. 

"A  man  who  has  in  his  person  and  history  symbolized  the  solemn  con. 
victions  and  tragic  fortunes  of  millions  of  men  cannot  pass  into  the  glooms 
that  gather  around  a  grave  v/ithout  sign  or  token  from  the  surcharged 
bosoms  of  those  he  leaves  behind;  and  when  Jefferson  Davis,  reaching 
*  the  very  sea-mark  of  his  utmost  sail,' goes  to  his  God,  not  even  the  most 
ignoble  can  chide  the  majestic  mourning,  the  sorrowing  honors  of  a  last 
salute. 

"I  am  not  here  to  stir  by  a  breath  the  embers  of  a  settled  strife ;  to  speak 
one  word  unworthy  of  him  and  of  ihehour.  What  is  writ  is  writ  in  the 
world's  memory  and  in  the  oooks  of  God.  But  I  am  here  to  say  for  our 
help  and  inspiration  :hat  this  man,  as  a  Christian  and  a  churchman,  was  a 
lover  oi  ail  aigh  and  righteous  things;  as  a  citizen,  was  fashioned  in  the 
old,  faithful  type;  as  a  soldier  was  marked  and  fitted  for  more  than  fame> 
the  Lord  God  having  setonhimthesealof  a  pureknighthood;  as  a  statesman' 
he  was  the  peer  of  the  princes  in  that  realm;  and  as  a  patriot,  through  every 
day  of  his  Illustrious  life,  was  an  incorruptible  and  impassioned  defender  ol 
the  liberties  of  men. 

"Gracious  and  gentle,  e^en  to  the  lowliest — nay,  especially  to  them — ten- 
der as  he  was  brave,  he  deserved  to  win  all  the  love  that  followed. 

"  jj'earless  and  unselfisn,  he  could  not  well  escape  the  life-long  conflicts  to 
which  he  was  committed.  GreatJy  and  strangely  misconceived,  he  bore 
injustice  with  the  calmnsss  befitting  his  place.  He  suffered  many  and 
grievous  wrongs,  sufiered  most  for  the  sake  of  others,  and  those  others  will 
rememoer  him  and  Jiis  undincnmg  fidelity  with  deepening  gratitude,  while 
the  Potomac  seeks  the  Chesapeake,  or  the  Mississippi  sweeps  by  Briarfieid 
on  its  way  to  the  Mexican  sea. 

*'  When  on  the  December  midnight  the  'wom  warrior  joined  the  ranks  of 
the  patient  and  prevailing  ones,  who 

"'  Loved  liheir  land  with  love  for  broag^V 
if  one  of  the  mighty  dead  gave  the  challenge : 

"•Artthoaol  osT 
He  answered:  1  am  here.* 

**  The  benediction  was  given,  and  then  came  the  most  afiecting  portion  of 
the  entire  service.  Dr.  Thompson  sui'rendered  his  post  at  the  head  of  the 
bier,and  Rev.  Father  Hubert,  of  the  Jesuit  Church,  stood  once  more  beside 
the  beloved  remains.  The  priest's  sensitive  f.ice  was  eloquent  with  over- 
whelming emotion.  His  gentle  voice  trembled  with  suppressed  sorrow,  and 
there  were  few  dry  eyes  as  he  prayed  with  almost  passionate  fervor: 

*"0,  God!  loving  and  compassionate  Father,  in  the  name  of  my  heart- 
broken comrades,  I  beseech  Thee  to  behold  us  ia  our  bereavemeutt  fi^om 


532  fltB  t)Ans  MMMdHTAt  tOtnUE. 

whom  Tlua  li.i3t  taken  one  who  was  to  lu  a  chief,  a  leader,  and  a  noble  and 
constant  exemplar.  Thou  knowest  how  in  time  of  his  power  he  ever  took  care 
that  his  soldiers  should  have  with  them  Thy  ministers,  to  cheer,  to  warn^ 
to  teach  them  how  to  fight  and  die  for  the  right.  See  him  now  at  the  bar 
of  Thy  judgment,  at  the  throne  of  thy  mercy-seat,  and  to  him  let  justice 
and  mercy  be  shown.  And  may  we  one  day  with  him  love  and  bless  and 
praise  Thee  forever  more,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.    Amen.' 

"Throughout  the  services  the  bell  tolled,  and  at  regular  intervals  minute- 
guns  were  fired. 

"  A  signal  was  made,  the  bands  struck  up  a  funeral  march,  and  the  sol- 
diers on  duty  again  lifted  the  casket  to  carry  it  to  the  caisson  in  waiting. 
The  clergy,  with  the  bishops  at  their  head,  first  passed  down  the  steps,  then 
came  the  casket,  followed  by  the  pall-bearers  and  other  clergy  in  attendance, 
walking  two-and-two.  Reverently,  and  in  the  presence  of  a  multitude  who 
uncovered  as  the  remains  were  brought  to  the  carriage,  the  casket  was 
placed  within  the  catafalque. 

LAID  TO   EEST. 

"While  yet  the  heavy  gray  mists  hung  dark  and  damp  in  the  streets,  as 
if  clinging  to  the  wet  pavements,  though  the  stars  were  already  paling  in 
the  widening  dawn  of  yesterday,  many  a  war-worn  veteran  was  astir.  It 
was  no  now  thing  for  these  grizzled  sons  of  the  South  to  turn  out  before  the 
Bun  at  the  call  of  duty,  but  many  years  of  peace  and  comparative  inactivity 
had  made  them  unused  to  it.  They  had  many  a  time  responded  to  the  mid- 
night alarm,  or  to  the  reveille  as  the  first  streaks  of  dawn  were  painting  the 
eastern  horizon;  they  had  rallied  around  the  stars  and  bars,  with  snow  and 
ice  under  foot  and  grim,  sullen  storm-clouds  drifting  over  head;  they  had 
wakened  'neath  the  leaden  rain  of  the  enemy,  and  they  had  known  what 
it  was  to  contend  against  overwhelming  odds  when  they  knew  their  cause 
was  lost;  but  they  never  had  a  sadder  awakening  than  that  of  yesterday. 
The  great  standard-bearer  of  the  Confederacy  had  at  last  laid  down  the 
burden  of  life,  and  the  day  had  come  when  the  last  farewells  must  be  said. 

"  Away  beyond  the  midnight  preceding,  veterans  had  been  coming  and 
going  beneath  the  sombre  funeral  draperies  that  enshrouded  the  great  stone 
columns  and  massive  doorways  of  the  City  Hall,  and  the  sleepy  guards  had 
hardly  said  good  night  to  the  last  of  these  ere  they  were  greeted  by  the 
early  comers  of  yesterday.  Steadily  the  multitudes  gathered  as  the  day 
wore  on. 

"The  latest  visitors  were  not  there  for  idle  curiosity.  They  did  not  come 
to  New  Orleans  that  they  might  have  it  to  say  that  they  had  seen  the  great 
statesman  on  his  bier.  As  they  looked  on  the  face  of  the  dead,  the  flushed 
cheek,  the  swelling  throat,  the  swimming  eye,  and  now  and  then  a  salt  tear 
stealing  down  a  bronzed  and  furrowed  cheek,  told  that  the  memory  of  Jef- 
ferson Davis  was  that  of  a  friend,  a  comrade,  a  chieftain. 


LAID  TO  HEIST.  633 

"  While  the  visits  to  the  death  chamber  were  in  progress  the  crowds  were 
gathering  fast  in  the  streets.  Soldiers  in  uniform  were  hurrying  to  their 
rendezvous,  while  civilians  were  drifting  slowly  and  leisurely  toward  Lafa- 
yette square.  The  early  comers  lounged  wearily  on  the  grass  before  there 
were  sufTicient  numbers  assembled  to  make  it  worth  while  to  secure  places 
from  which  they  might  witness  the  formation  of  the  grand  and  solemn 
pageant. 

"About  11  o'clock,  however,  streams  of  humanity  began  to  pou;  into  the 
square  through  every  street  that  opens  upon  it,  and  before  the  procession 
had  taken  form  the  square  and  its  surroundings  looked  like  an  almost  un- 
broken mass  of  men,  women  and  children.  Every  doorway,  gallery  or  win- 
dow commanding  a  view  of  the  square  was  crowded,  while  the  banquettes 
of  every  street  leading  out  of  it  were  tilled  to  the  very  curbstones  with 
dense,  moving  masses  of  humanity  for  several  blocks  from  the  square. 

"More  and  more  brilliant  did  the  scene  become  as  the  morning  wore  on 
and  the  preparations  for  the  pageant  progressed. 

"  Though  Ithe  early  morning  had  been  misty  with  a  dappled  and  half 
threatening  sky,  every  trace  of  cloud  and  mist  rolled  away  before  mid- 
day, and  a  flood  of  golden  sunlight  was  being  poured  out  of  an  unclouded 
sky  of  deepest  and  purest  blue  when  the  first  note  of  the  solemn  funeral 
service  floated  from  behind  the  sombre  draperies  that  shrouded  the  massive 
colonnade  of  the  City  Hall. 

"The  square  was  packed  with  a  mass  of  humanity  in  the  comparatively 
<lark  attire  of  civilians,  while  all  around  this  ran  a  deep  border  of  military 
whose  uniforms  of  blue  and  gray  and  green  in  varying  shades,  with  facings, 
caps,  and  trappings  of  white,  scarlet,  bluff,  blue,  and  gold,  gleamed  in  the 
sunlight,  looking  not  unlike  a  gorgeous  and  brilliant  fringe  upon  a  giant  • 
mantle  of  black. 

"  The  service  at  the  City  Hall  was  a  brief  one,  and  soon  the  mournful 
tolling  of  the  bells  and  the  deep  booming  from  out  the  iron  throats  of  the 
minute-guns  told  tha*'  the  ashes  of  Jefierson  Davis  were  being  borne  to  a 
bed  of  dreamless  rest. 

"  Plaintive  dirges  rose  above  the  subdued  murmur  of  the  multitudes  that 
lined  the  streets.  Tattered  and  smoke-stained  battle  flags  furled  and 
swathed  in  sable  crape  were  borne  aloft  by  maimed  and  scarred  veterans  of 
the  war  while  the  drums,  whose  martial  throbs  had  in  the  days  that  are 
gone  thrilled  many  a  Southern  heart,  where  thick  dun  clouds  of  battle 
smoke  were  pierced  by  leaden  hail,  now  gave  out  only  muffled  sobs  to  the 
rhythm  of  the  slow  and  measured  tread  of  thousands  who  marched  sorrow- 
ing to  enact  the  last  sad  scene  of  the  groat  national  tragedy. 

"The  monster  procession  extended  so  far  beyond  the  line  of  vision  from 
any  given  point  that  the  eye  could  not  picture  it  as  a  whole.  There  were 
youthful  soldiers  in  brilliant  uniforms  and  gilded  trappings,  and  there  were 


5Bi  THE  DAVIS  MEMOBIAL  VOI^UJLtJ. 

grizzled  men  whose  bronzed  cheeks,  soldierly  bearing  and  a  certain  unbend- 
ing determination  in  their  look  that  stamped  them  as  veterans  of  the  late 
war.  They  needed  neither  badge  nor  uniform  to  established  their  identity, 
which,  with  nothing  else  to  mark  it,  would  have  sufficiently  appeared  in 
scarred  faces,  empty  sleeves  and  halting  gaits. 

"  Slowly  the  vast  procession  moved  through  the  streets  with  that  decorous 
solemnity  that  comes  of  heartfelt  tut  unostentatious  and  manly  sorrow, 
whi^e  the  vast  concourse  of  people,  estimated  at  200,000,  that  thronged 
the  banquettes,  the  galleries,  the  windows,  and  even  the  housetops,  all 
along  the  long  line  of  march,  looked  on  in  sorrowing  silence. 

"  With  that  spirit  of  sturdy  heroism  that  long  ago  won  for  them  and  their 
comrades  undying  fame  the  staunch  old  veterans  marched  all  the  way  to 
the  cemeterj'  behind  the  body  of  their  fallen  leader  unmindful  of  dust,  heat, 
and  fatigue  that  proved  sufficient  to  overcome  more  than  one  of  the  more 
youthful  soldiers  in  uniform. 

"  As  the  sombre  cortege  passed  slowly  beneath  the  broad  arch  opening 
into  Metairie  Cemetery  the  beautiful  life-like  statue  of  that  other  hero  of  the 
Confederacy,  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  was  seen  on  the  right,  veiled  in  crape, 
as  if  even  the  insentiate  bronze  mourned  the  fallen  statesman. 

"  Slowly  and  sadly  the  procession  threaded  its  way  along  the  white  shelled 
avenues  of  that  beautiful  city  of  the  silent.  The  snowy  tomb  glistening  in 
the  mellow  light  of  the  afternoon  sun  looked  to  be  rising  out  of  a  plain  in 
which  the  emerald  and  gold  of  growing  and  ripened  grasses  were  min- 
gled with  exquisite  effect.  Here  an  orange  tree  with  gleaming  foliage  of 
deepest  green  was  bending  beneath  its  burden  of  golden  fruit ;  roses  were 
everywhere  looking  their  freshest  and  brightest,  while  the  foliage  of  the 
shade  trees,  as  well  as  that  of  the  forest  border  which  fringes  the  inclosure> 
wore  a  gorgeous  blending  of  richest  green  and  fiery  bronze. 

"  At  last  the  procession  halted  before  a  great,  verdant  mound,  surmounted 
by  a  massive  pedestal  of  gray  stone  from  which  rose  a  tall,  slender  shaft 
bearing  aloft  the  statute  of  still  another  Southern  hero,  Stonewall  Jackson. 
Here,  with  his  comrades  of  the  Army  of  Norther  Virginia,  were  the  ashes 
of  the  dead  chieftain  to  be  laid  at  rest. 

"  The  pedestal  at  the  base  of  the  shaft  was  almost  hidden  by  rich  and 
rare  floral  designs,  while  around  the  shaft  from  cap  to  base  was  twined  a 
spiral  w^reath. 

"  Soon  a  cordon  of  military  was  extended  around  the  tomb,  and  in  a  few 
moments  thousands  of  people  were  standing  outside  the  cordon  waiting  to 
witness  the  burial  rites. 

"Those  who  were  permitted  to  pass  within  the  cordon  entered  the  inclc 
sure  with  uncovered  heads,  and  as  the  veterans  tiled  around  the  tomb  they 
showered  upon  it  fresh  cut  flowers  till  the  air  was  redolent  of  their  deli- 
cious fragrance. 


TOMB   ARMY   NORTHERN  VTROIXI  \.   MRTAIRIE  CEMETERY. 
Vbtkbans  and  Guards  of  TIonok  awaitixo  ttie  RE.AiAr.vs. 


588  THE  DA  VIjS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

"At  last  the  casket,  half  covered  with  the  old  Confederate  flag  and  strewn 
with  flowers,  was  born  aloft  and  placed  at  the  entrance  of  the  sepulchre. 
The  solemn  service  of  the  Episcopal  Church  was  performed.  Faintly  and 
with  inexpressible  sadness  came  the  intonations  of  the  surpliced  choir  and 
the  soft  obligato  of  the  cornets  to  the  ears  of  the  vast  multitude  beyond  the 
cordon. 

"  Just  as  the  rites  were  begun  a  soft,  feathery  cloud  of  golden  bronze  mel- 
lowed the  sunlight  that  flooded  the  place  as  if  great  nature  itself  would 
lend  solemnity  to  the  scene,  and  as  the  ceremony  progressed  the  light 
became  more  and  more  softened,  while  thousands  listened  for  the  faint  and 
far  ofi"  tones  with  bated  breath;  and  not  even  the  faintest  breeze  stirred  the 
sere  leaves  on  trees  or  shrub. 

"  At  last,  clear,  distinct  and  full  of  pleading  pathos,  came  that  grand  peti- 
tion. 

Rock  of  ages,  cleft  for  me, 
Let  me  hide  myself  in  Thee. 
"Then in  deeper  and  even  more  earnest  tones  came  the  words  : 
.    Not  the  labor  of  my  hands, 
Can  fulfill  Thy  law's  demands. 

"And  then  with  boundless  fervor  came  the  sublime  refrain : 

In  my  hands  no  price  I  bring, 

Simply  to  Thy  cross  I  cling. 
"  As  the  last  stanza  was  sung  many  a  veteran's  cheek  was  wet,  and  there 
were  voices  that  mingled  chooking  sobs  with  the  words. 

While  I  draw  this  fleeting  breath. 
When  my  eyelids  closed  in  death. 

Kock  of  Ages,  cleft  for  me. 
Let  me  hide  myself  in  Thee. 

''  As  the  burial  rites  were  ended  the  declining  sun  sank  deeper  among  the 
clouds  of  purple  and  bronze  in  the  western  horizon,  the  shadows  were 
lengthening  and  depening,  and  the  short  winter  day  was  fast  drawing  to  a 
close.  Pufls  of  smoke  curled  upward  as  the  cannons  boomed  the  parting 
salute  telling  that  the  great  leader  of  the  Confederacy  had  been  laid  to  rest, 
and  before  the  tiny  smoke  clouds  had  faded  in  empty  air  the  sun  had  hid- 
den his  face  in  a  cloak  of  purple  cloud,  whose  curling  upper  rim,  marked 
with  a  border  of  flaming  gold,  told  where  he  had  gone  down. 

•'  Thus  was  broken  another  cord  that  bound  the  living,  throbbing  heart  of 
the  South  to  the  dead,  but  loved  and  unforgotten  past. 

THE  FUNERAL  PROCESSION. 

THE  OEGANIZATIONS   COMPOSING  THE  SIX  DIVISIONS  IN   LINE. 

"  At  12  o'clock  sharp,  General  John  Glynn  had  everything  in  readiness  to 
move,  but  the  religious  ceremonies  were  still  in  progress  on  the  portico. 
Chief- of-Police  Hennessey  and   his  men  were  also  ready  to  start.    They 


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538  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME, 

kept  the  street  in  front  of  the  City  Hall  clear,  so  that  nothing  might  inter- 
fere w  ith  the  commands  when  they  started  to  move.  A*  preciseiy  12:30 
o'clock  Chief-of-Police  David  C.  Hennessey,  mounted  and  in  full  tiniform, 
commanded  a  picked  detachment  of  his  corps,  that  headed  the  procession 
and  cleared  the  way  for  it  through  the  crowded  thoroughfares  over  which 
the  line  marched. 

"  The  route  of  parade  was  up  St.  Charles  street,  around  Lee  Circle  to  Cal- 
liope, to  Camp,  down  to  Chartres,  to  St.  Louis,  to  Royal,  to  Canal,  and  out  to 
the  cemeteries. 

"Behind  Chief  Hennessey  were  Captains  Collein,  Barrett,  Donnally,  Ser- 
geants Walsh  and  Lynch  mounted. 

"  Then  came  Sergeants  Day,  McCahe  and  Blancher  afoot.  A  detachment 
of  forty-eight  picked  men  were  under  command  ol  Corporal  Cooper,  and 
marched  twelve  abreast. 

"  Then  came  the  honorary  marshal.  Governor,  Gordon  of  Georgia,  and 
General  Glynn,  marshall  of  the  day. 

"  General  Glynn  was  followed  by  his  staff:  Lieutenant-Colonel  John  D. 
Scott,  A.  A.  G.,  chief  of  staff;  Lieutenant-Colonel  E.  C.  Fenner,  inspector- 
general  ;  Colonel  L.  J.  Fremaux,  quartermaster ;  Captain  Charles  H.  Fenner, 
aid-de-camp. 

"In  the  rear  of  General  Glynn's  immediate  staff  were  the  honorary  aids, 
riding  four  abreast.  They  were:  General  Leon  Jastremski,  James  A.  Kins- 
ley, C.  V.  Labor,  J.  H.  Eenshaw,  Major  Gilbert  Hall,  John  M.  Avery,  D.  H. 
Lombard,  E.  J.  Salvant,  and  ex-Mayor  W.  S.  Reese,  of  Mobile. 

"  There  were  a  number  of  other  gentlemen,  who  were  among  the  honor- 
ary aid  marshals,  but  they  were  on  duty  in  other  parts  of  the  procession. 

"  General  Glynn  and  his  staff  were  mounted  and  in  full  military  uniform. 
Cfeneral  Gordon,  honorary  marshal,  was  attired  in  black  broadcloth  and 
black  gloves,  and  he  wore  a  large  silk  sash,  his  ensign  of  office.  The  hon- 
orary aids  were  attired  in  black,  wore  silk  hats  and  black  gloves,  and  their 
left  shoulders  were  ornamented  with  crape  rosettes,  the  eentre  of  which 
contained  a  '  forget-me-not.' 

"The  first  division  was  composed  of  Brigadier-General  Adolph  Meyer  and 
staff,  detachment  of  city  police,  military  escort,  consisting  of  the  troops  of 
the  first  military  district,  and  visiting  military,  clergy  attending,  physicians 
and  pall-bearers  in  carriages,  the  bier  and  guard  of  honor  and  family  of  the 
deceased  in  carriages. 

"  The  first  division  was  commanded  by  Brigadier-General  Adolph  Meyer, 
His  staff  was  Lieutenant-Colonel  Clem.  L.  Walker,  A.  A.  G.;  INIajor  W.  H. 
Pinckard,  A.  L  G.;  Major  S.  P.  Walmsley,  A.  Q.  M.;  Major  F.  A.  Behan, 
brigade  ordnance  officer;  Major  Blain  Jamison,  commissary;  Dr.  A.  W.  de 
Roaldes,  brigade  surgeon;  Captain  Wm.  A.  Brand,  aid-de-camp.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  regular  staff,  there  were  present  as  guests  Brigadier-General  F. 
S.  Myles,  inspector-general  on  Governor  Tjowry's  staff,  of  Mississippi ;  Col- 


S40  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

onel  J,  "W.  Parson,  also  of  Governor  Lowry's  staflF;  Colonel  Cos,  of  Texas, 
and  Captains  E.  A.  Jones,  Lieutenants  Dufour  and  Cohen  of  the  Meyer  bat- 
talion.   These  officers  were  all  mounted. 

"  Following  General  Meyer  and  staff  came  the  Continental  Guard's  Band 
opening  the  march  of  the  military  column. 

"The  first  company  was  the  Volunteer  Southrons,  of  Vicksburg,  Miss.; 
under  command  of  Captain  C.  J.  Searles.  This  company  was  assigned  the 
post  of  honor  by  Captain  Beanham,  of  the  Louisiana  Field  Artillery,  who 
had  been  assigned  to  this  duty.  Adjutant-General -Wm.  Henry,  of  Missis- 
sippi, made  this  request  Decause  of  the  close  associations  of  the  command 
with  Presi-lent  Davis,  and  Captain  Beanham  promptly  acceded. 

"  There  were  twenty-eight  men  in  line,  rank  and  file,  who  wore  uniforms  of 
blue,  with  white  shakos.  They  carried  their  flag  in  the  rear,  which  was 
heavily  draped  in  mourning. 

"The  Columbus  (Miss.)  Riflemen  came  next.  The  Riflemen  were  repre- 
sented by  a  detachment  of  twenty  men,  under  command  of  Captain  A.  J. 
McDowell.  Their  gray  uniforms,  with  black  trimmings  and  white  helmets, 
appeared  to  advantage. 

"  Under  "the  command  of  Captain  D.  P.  Porter  came  the  Capital  Light 
Guards  of  Jackson,  Miss.  This  company  had  thirty  men  in  line,  whose 
blue  uniforms,  with  white  and  gold  trimmings  and  fatigue  caps,  were  very 
becoming. 

"  The  Jefferson  Davis  Volunteers,  of  Fayette,  Miss.,  with  their  high  shakos, 
light  blue  trousers  and  dark  blue  frock  coats,  with  buff  trimmings  were 
next  in  line.  Captain  L.  R.  Harrison  was  in  command  of  twenty  men,  who 
made  a  soldierly  appearance. 

"  Preceded  by  a  splendid  brass  band  came  the  Alabama  delegation  from 
the  First  and  Second  reigiments.  The  staff  of  the  Governor  of  Alabama 
and  the  regulars  were  also  in  line.  They  were :  Charles  P.  Jones,  adjutant- 
general  ;  L.  J.  Lawson,  inspector-general ;  M.  P.  Le  Grand,  judge  advocate- 
general;  E.  Stollenwerck,  quartermaster  general;  Paul  Sanguinette,  ordnance 
officer;  James  L.  Tanner,  A  Steinhart,  and  J.  F.  Ross,  aides-de-camp. 

"  IS^ext  marched  the  Jefferson  Volunteers  of  Birmingham,  under  Captain 
L.  V.  Clark,  attired  in  blue  uniforms  trimmed  with  gold.  They  wore  hel- 
mets ornamented  with  plumes,  and  numbered  thirty  men  rank  and  file. 

"  The  Montgomery  True  Blues,  Company  K,  Second  Alabama  Regiment, 
in  command  of  Captain  H.  E.  Stringfellow,  marched  in  double  rank.  There 
were  thirty-three  rank  and  file  in  line.  They  wore  tall  black  shakos  with 
blue  uniforms  ornamented  with  gold. 

"  Colonel  Thomas  G.  Jones,  of  the  Second  Alabama  Regiment,  was  at  the 
head  of  the  next  company. 

"The  next  company  was  the  Montgomery  Greys,  thirty-eight  strong.  Cap- 
tain "W.  J.  Boothe  in  command.  They  wore  handsome  and  becoming  uni- 
forms of  gray,  trimmed  in  gold,  with  white  shakos. 


fim  PUNEML  PnOCESmOlf.  541 

"Captain  A.  A.  Wiley,  in  command  of  the  Montgomery  Mounted  Rifles 
(dismounted),  thirty-six  strong,  in  dark  blue,  with  buff  trimming,  foliowed 
the  Greys.  Although  accustomed  to  parade  in  the  saddle,  the  Rifles  marched 
as  stpadily  as  the  infantry  commands. 

"The  Montgomery  Field  Artillery,  under  command  of  Lieutenant  "W.  R. 
Taylor,  had  twenty-seven  men,  clad  in  blue  uniforms,  trimmed  in  gold. 
They  wore  the  regulation  stripes  of  red  on  their  pantaloons. 

"Headed  by  Captain  G.  C.  Tucker,  chaplain  of  the  First  Regiment  Ala- 
bama State  troops,  came  five  companies  belonging  to  that  regiment,  in  com- 
mand of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Dick  Roper. 

"The  first  company  to  appear  was  the  Lomax  Rifles,  who  captured  the 
great  trophy  at  Washington  a  few  years  ago.  The  tall  white  hair  plumes  in 
their  shakos,  their  uniform  of  dark  blue  with  gold  trimmings,  and  their 
highly  polished  muskets,  made  them  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  com- 
mands in  the  progression.  Captain  F.  P.  Davis  commanded  the  thirty-two 
Lomax  Riflemen. 

"  Captain  Murray  next  appeared  with  the  famous  Mobile  Rifles,  who  are 
no  strangers  to  New  Orleans.  Thirty  men  rank  and  file  were  in  line.  They 
wore  bottle  green  uniforms  trimmed  in  gold. 

"The  Gulf  City  Guards,  commanded  by  Captain  A.  C.  Ebeltorft,  with 
thirty  men,  followed,  wearing  blue  uniforms,  trimmed  in  gold  and  red,  and 
white  helmets  and  plumes.    The  Guards  presented  a  striking  appearance. 

"Lieutenant  R.  A.  Saddler  commanded  the  Mobde  Cadets,  thirty  strong. 
They  were  attired  in  Confederate  gray,  with  black  trimmings  and  black 
l)!u3h  caps,  ornamented  with  black  plumes.  Each  man's  arm  was  orna- 
mented with  a  band  of  crape. 

"The  Alabama  State  Artillery,  in  blue  uniforms,  trimmed  in  red,  under 
Captain  R.  S.  Scales,  had  thirty  men  in  line,  and  beside  the  commander  at 
his  post  marched  Sergeant  Angelo  Festorazzi,  of  the  First  regiment. 

"  The  Washington  Artillery,  headed  by  their  own  band,  ?ame  next.  The 
battalion  was  under  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  John  B.  Richardson, 
assisted  by  Major  Andrew  Hero,  Jr.,  and  stafl",  as  follows:  Captain  E.  I. 
Kursheedt,  adjutant;  C.  L.  C.  Dupuy,  ordnance  officer;  Joseph  H.  DeGrange, 
quartermaster;  Alfred  T.  Baker,  commissary;  J.  T.  DeGrange,  surgeon;  Wil- 
liam W.  Crane,  sergeant-major;  Gus  Leefe,  quartermaster-sergeant;  Hy. 
Febal,  commissary-sergeant ;  Reeves,  ordinance-sergeant,  and  Samuel  Fitz- 
hugh,  color-sergeant. 

"First  came  a  picked  detachment  of  veterans  of  this  historic  command. 
They  were  under  command  of  Major  Robert  Strong  and  Captain  Emile  J. 
O'Brien,  and  were  attired  in  old  Confederate  gray  uniforms,  trimmed  with 
red,  wearing  the  regulation  kepi. 

"Following  this  detachment  marched  sixty-five  veterans  of  this  com- 
mand, who  kept  step  to  the  beat  of  the  muffled  drum.    Their  movementj* 


§42  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  X^OLUME. 

were  precise  and  exact,  as  only  those  of  veterans  can  be.  They  were  attired 
in  black  suits  and  wore  the  badge  of  the  command. 

"  On  the  ri^^ht  of  the  battalion,  occupying  posts  of  laonor,  were  the  Gate 
City  Guards,  of  Atlanta.  The  post  of  honor  on  the  left  was  occupied  by  the 
Dallas  Light  Artillery.  They  had  telegraphel  for  horses  (brought  their 
guns  with  them),  intendhig  to  appear  mounted,  but  the  telegram  was 
received  too  late.  Next  followed  the  three  batteries  of  the  "Washington 
Artillery,  numbering  125  men. 

"Captain  Henry  JM.  Isaacson  commanded  Battery  C,  thirty-eight  men; 
Captain  Underhill,  Battery  A,  thirty -two  men;  Captain  Eugene  May,  Bat- 
tery B,  thirty-nine  men. 

"Sixteen  artillerymen  of  the  Dallas  Light  Artillery,  under  Captain  A.  P. 
Wozencraft,  brought  ui3  the  left  of  the  line.  They  wore  blue  uniforms 
trimmed  in  red. 

"  The  Continental  Guards,  in  their  showy  uniforms,  followed  the  "Wash- 
ington Artillery.  The  company  was  under  comm  md  of  Lieutenant  E.  K. 
Skinner,  and  turned  out  thirty-eight  men,  rank  and  file.  Continentals  in 
citizens'  dress  did  duty  at  other  points  along  the  line. 

"Th3  Tiro  Al  Bersaglio,  officered  by  Captain  Patorno,  came  next,  divided 
into  three  companies,  numbering  about  one  hundred  men,  rank  and  file. 
Their  dark  olive-green  uniforms  and  broad-brimmed,  low-crowned  black 
hats,  freely  garnished  with  black  cocks'  feathers,  contrasted  strikingly  with 
the  blue  and  gray  uniforms  of  those  who  had  preceded  them. 

"The  close-fitting  blue  uniforms,  high,  black  hair  shakos  of  the  Louisiana 
Eifles,  under  Captain  Charles  H.  Adams,  came  next.  There  were  twenty 
men  in  line  and  a  hke  number  on  guard  at  the  cemetery. 

"  Next  came  the  clergy  in  carriages,  as  follows : 

"  No  1.  Bishops  Galleher  and  Tliompson. 

"  No.  2.  Rev.  Messrs.  Sessums,  Bakewell,  Snively  and  "Wiggins. 

"  No.  3.  Rev.  Fathers  Fitzgerald,  Smith,  Moore,  and  O'Neil,  of  St.  Joseph's 
Church. 

"No.  4.  Rev.  Messrs.  "Waters,  Thompson,  Markham,  and  Hedges, 

"  No.  5.  Rabbi  I.  L.  Leucht  and  Rev.  Messrs.  R.  W.  Merrill,  T.  J.  Draine, 
and  H.  M.  Smith. 

"  No.  6.  Rev.  Fathers  Miles  O'Connor  and  O'Shannahan,  from  the  Jesuits' 
Church. 

"  No.  7.  Rev.  Messrs.  Mallet,  Elwang,  Hall,  and  Blingsly. 

"No.  8.  Father  Hubert  and  Comrade  Ed.  Ryan,  Army  of  Northern  Vir- 
ginia. 

"No.  9.  Rev.  Messrs.  Percival,  Martin,  Hunter,  Bussey,  and  Trader. 

"No.  10.  Rev.  Messrs.  Sch warts,  Hyland,  Lyle,  Keo'e  and  Trawick. 

"No.  11.  Rev.  Fathers  Mignot,  of  the  Cathedral,  and  Chasse,  chancellor  of 
the  archbishop. 


S44  TSS  DAVIS  meMoMAL  VOLUME, 

'i^o.  12.  Rev.  '^Tessrs.  Minnegerodej  Cleburne,  Tardy,  and  Hammond. 
'  Next  came  *"he  following  pall-bearers  in  carriages  : 

"  No.  1.  Governors  Watts  and  Lubbock  and  Generals  Cabell  and  Wilcox. 

"No.  2.  Justice  C.  E.  Fenner,  General  George  W.  Jones,  General  Stephen 
D.  Lee,  and  Rev.  Dr.  J.  William  Jones,  of  Atlanta. 

"  No.  3.  Ex-United  Senator  B.  F.  Jonas,  Captain  Leathers,  Colonel  Overton, 
of  Tennessee,  and  Colonel  J.  Stoddard  Johnston,  of  Kentucky. 

"  The  other  pall-bearers  were  in  other  portions  of  the  parade. 

"  Captain  William  Beanham,  of  Battery  B,  Louisiana  Field  Artillery, 
mounted,  led  the  way  for  the  funeral  car,  which  was  drawn  by  six  black 
horses  covered  with  black  velvet  housings.  The  horses  stepping  slowly  and 
quietly  along  as  if  conscious  of  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion,  were  ridden  by 
G.  D.  Alexis,  W.  W.  Fredericks  and  Corporal  F.  B.  Freeland,  of  Battery  B, 
Louisiana  Field  Artillery. 

"The  detail  of  the  guard  of  honor  had  been  selected  from  Battery  B  by 
request.    Captain  Beanham  fixed  the  guard  of  honor  as  follows : 

"  Warren  Light  Artillery,  Vicksburg,  Miss. — William  Bussleman,  D.  B. 
Genasci,  sergeants ;  M.  Gomes,  Jr.,  John  Valandingham, 

"  Alabama  State  Artillery,  Mobile,  Ala.— Sergeants  John  F.  Powers,  W.  W. 
Novell. 

"  The  funeral  car  was  of  strikingly  artistic  design,  elegant  in  detail  and 
constructed  of  rich  material. 

"  The  superstructure  was  mounted  on  a  caisson.  The  platform  upon 
which  the  casket  was  placed  rested  on  three  springs.  There  were  six  bronze 
Napoleon  guns  resting  on  their  muzzles,  forming  columns  rising  from  the 
platform,  which  supported  a  canopy  draped  in  heavy  sable  cloth,  with  a 
rich  frieze  and  braid  border.  On  the  corners  of  the  canopy  rested  six  can- 
non balls,  while  the  top  of  the  canopy  was  ornamented  with  festooned 
American  flags;  between  the  cannon  and  resting  against  them  were  crossed 
muskets. 

"  To  the  front  of  the  car  were  two  crossed  cavalry  sabres.  The  lower  por- 
tion of  the  car  was  ornamented  with  rich  silvered  fringe,  which  covered 
part  of  the  caisson. 

"  To  the  rear  of  the  cassion  was  the  guard  of  honor  from  the  Louisiana 
Field  Artillery,  consisting  of  a  lieutenant  and  eight  sergeants,  who  attended 
the  remains  at  the  City  Hall  and  cemetery ;  Lieutenant  F.  M.  McKeough. 
Sergeants  C.  W.  Brown,  E.  Devepas,  R.  J.  Wire,  J.  J.  0' Riley,  W.  J.  Mc- 
Corkindale,  G.  B.  Hamilton,  A.  H.  Goodin,  C.  B.  Guillotte  and  A.  Aleix. 

"  Lieutenant  H.  Bolivar  Thompson,  with  a  detachment,  was  in  line  with 
the  Vicksburg  Southerners,  who  had  the  right  of  the  line. 

"  Following  the  funeral  car  came  the  widow  and  relatives  of  Mr.  Davis  in 
carriages  in  the  following  order : 

"  No.  1.  Mrs.  Jeflferson  Davis,  Mrs.  Hayes,  Mr.  Davis's  daughter;  Mr.  J.  U. 
Payu»,  an  intimat«  friend,  and  G«n»ral  Joseph  R.  Davil^  hil  &«pb-»w. 


b46  inB  r> a  vis  memorial  volume. 

"No.  2.  Mrs.  Ellen  Kcasy,  niece  of  Mr.  Davis;  Hugh  L.  Davis,  grand- 
nephew;  Mrs.  General  Joseph  R.  Davis;  Miss  N.  D.  Smith,  grandniece,  and 
Miss  Mamie  Searlc?,  grcat-grandniece. 

"  No.  3.  Attend. ng  physicians,  Drs.  Chaille  and  Bickham. 

"No.  4.  Mrs.  A.  R.  Brousseau  ;  Mrs.  Dr.  C.  P.  Wilkinson,  JNIiss  Elsie  White, 
grandnieces,  and  Mr.  Sidney  White,  grandnophew. 

"No.  5.  Mrs. Mary  Stamps,  niece;  Mr.  E.  IL  Farrar ;  Master  Edgar  Farrai 
and  Misses  Mary  and  Annia  Farrar. 

"No.  6.  Mr.Jefierson  Davis  Smith, grandnephew,  Mrs.  L.  G.  Balfuur, grand- 
niece,  Lulu,  Gartley,  Minn  i  3  and  ilollie,  children  of  Mrs.  Balfuur  and  great- 
nieces  of  ]Mr.  Davis. 

"  No.  7.  Misses  Varina  D.,  Mary  L.,  and  E.  Hilton  Howell,  and  W.  H.  Railej 
and  W.  F.  Howell,  nieces  and  nephews  of  Mrs.  Davis. 

"  No.  8.  Girault  Farrar  and  wife,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  II.  Richardson,  cousim- 
and  nephews. 

"  No.  9.  Mrs.  C.  E.  Fenner,  Mr.  E,  D.  Fenner,  Guy  and  Gladys  Fenner, 
and  nurse. 

SECOND   DIVISION. 

"The  second  division,  marshalled  by  General  W.  J.  Behan,  was  composed 
of  Confederate  Veteran  Associations,  local  and  visiting,  the  Ladies'  Confed- 
erate Monument  Association,  and  distinguished  lady  guest  in  carriages. 

"  Early  yesterday  forenoon  the  Confederate  States  Cavalry  Veterans,  mem- 
bers of  the  association  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  visiting  veterans, 
and  sons  and  daughters  of  veterans  flocked  to  the  Army  of  Northern  Vir- 
ginia hall  on  Camp  street,  where  Colonel  George  Moorman,  of  the  Confed- 
erate States  Cavalry,  and  Captain  Fred,  A.  Ober,  of  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia,  were  receiving  them  and  giving  them  badges  and  instructions 
as  to  the  line  of  march.  Shortly  after  11  o'clock  the  veterans  of  both  com- 
mands and  the  numerous  visitors  formed  line  in  Commercial  alley  and 
marched  up  to  Lafeyette  square,  where  they  joined  the  Army  of  Tennessee, 
with  other  guests. 

"  In  falling  into  the  line  of  march  General  Behan,  with  his  staff  of 
mounted  officers,  composed  of  Colonel  George  A.  Williams,  A.  A.  Magginis, 
Colonel  E.  H.  McEwen,  J.  B.  Sinnott,  G.  H.  Dunbar,  P.  0.  Fazende,  George 
E.  Apps,  E.  H.  McCaleb,  W.  B.  Ringrose,  Major  J.  G.  Devereux  and  Colonel 
A.  W.  CrandaU  came  directly  behind  the  family  carriages. 

"  Following  the  marshalland  his  staff  and  heading  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia  on  the  right  and  the  Army  of  Tennessee  on  the  left  was  the  Eureka 
brass  band. 

"  The  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  on  account  of  Mr.  Fred.  Washington 
being  a  pall-bearer,  was  commanded  by  Captain  Fred.  A.  Ober,  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers  :  ]Mr.  Charles  Smith,  Major  L.  L.  Lincoln,  Mr.  J.  M.  WilsoQ 
and  Mr.  J.  Wax  of  Baton  Rouge. 


THE  FUNERAL  PHO CESSION.  547 

"  The  members  of  this  association  turned  out  about  400  strong,  all  wearing 
the  red  and  white  army  badge  and  a  wlaite  memorial  badge.  The  flag^  of 
the  company  were  furled  and  heavily  draped  with  crape,  in  charge  of  the 
color  guard,  captained  by  J.  M.  Wilson. 

"  A  member  of  the  Natchez  Fencibles  marched.  He  was  the  only  rep- 
resentative in  line  of  that  old  company,  which  was  organized  in  1S24. 

"  The  Army  of  Tennessee,  which  marched  on  the  left  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia,  was  officered  by  Colonel  W.  T.  Cluverius,  commander, 
and  Messrs.  Screven,  Bullett,  Santana  and  Petit.  This  association  had 
about  350  men  in  line,  decorated  with  white  memorial  badges  similar  to 
those  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia. 

"  Following  the  veterans  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  came  the 
Confederate  State  Cavalry  veterans.  Tliis  detachment  was  cammanded  by 
Colonel  George.  Moorman,  assisted  by  Major  John  Henry  Behan,  Major 
D.  A.  Given  being  a  pall-bearer.  The  command  was  about  150  strong.  The 
memorial  badges  of  this  command  were  yellow  with  a  black  fringe.  Head- 
ing this  detachment  was  a  veteran  soldier,  Peter  Moreau,  carrying  a  battle- 
worn  flag  of  the  Second  Louisiana  Cavalry,  entwined  with  the  colors  of  the 
Confederate  States  Cavalry.  This  valuable  relic  is  owned  by  Colonel  W.  G. 
Vincent,  and  it  is  claimed  has  gone  through  scores  of  battles  greatly  dis- 
figuring and  soiling  it,  but  making  it  dear  to  the  hearts  of  ex-Confederates. 

"  Following  the  above  veteran  associations  came  visiting  and  unattached 
veterans,  among  whom  were  a  small  detachment  of  F.  K.  Zollicoffer's  Camp, 
of  Knoxville,  Tenn.  Adjutant  Charles  Ducloux  cairied  the  colors  and  wore 
an  old  gray  cap  that  he  had  worn  during  the  war. 

"A  large  detachment,  numbering  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  of  Mobile 
veterans  of  the  Army  of  Tennessee,  with  Thomas  Q.  Barnes  carrying  the 
colors,  made  a  large  addition  to  the  Army  of  Tennessee  line. 

"Veterans  of  the  Mexican  war,  about  thirty  in  line,  followed  in  the 
march  of  the  funeral  officered  by  Messrs.  H.  Marks,  J.  E.  Staiford  and 
Lyman. 

"Twelve  old  soldiers  of  Walthall's  Camp  I,  Meridian,  Mississippi,  and 
Guibet's  Battery,  about  fifty  strong,  were  also  among  the  veterans  who 
paraded. 

"  In  the  Army  of  Tennessee  line  were  delegations  from  Mississippi,  Ala- 
bama and  Texas,  and  four  members  of  Jefferson  Davis's  original  com^ 
pany,  the  'Mississippi  Rifles.' 

"  Among  the  other  veterans  in  line  were  four  members  of  the  Twelfth 
Mississippi,  Colonel  J.  F.  Shipp,  commanding  N.  B.  Forrest's  Camp,  <i.  large 
Mississippi  delegation,  and  Major  J.  H.  Leathers,  with  twenty-five  members 
of  the  Kentucky  Confederate  Association. 

"Governor  Buckner,  of  the  Kentuckians,  was  among  the  honorary  pall- 
bearers, Colonel  J.  Stoddard  Johnston,  active  pall-bearer,  and  Colonel  E. 


54S  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOLtfMH. 

Polk  Johnston  in  carriage  as  State  ofRcial  of  Kentucky,  with  a  party  of 
Louisiana  State  officials. 

"  The  Sons  of  Veterans  of  the  Army  of  Tennessee  turned  out  106  strong, 
and  made  a  fine  appearance  under  Messrs.  H.  J.  Prados,  J.  N.  Augustin, 
Percy  Campbell,  C.  C.  Luzenburg  and  C.  P.  Johnston.  Vernon  Venables 
carried  the  colors  of  the  association. 

"The  Sons  and  Daughters  of  the  Veterans  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Vir- 
ginia were  officered  by  Messrs.  P.  Zerr,  Louis  Schell,  AV.  S.  Mcllroy  and 
Albert  Charles.    They  turned  out  about  seventy-fiv^e  strong  of  both  sexes. 

''  Following  came  the  veterans  of  Battery  B.  Louisiana  Field  Artillery. 
There  were  twenty-four  in  line,  and  were  commanded  by  Charles  A.  Thomas. 

"  Following  the  veterans  came  the  Ladies' Confederate  Monumental  Asso- 
ciation and  visiting  ladies  in  carriages  The  ladies  occupied  eight  carriages, 
and  among  them  were  •  Mrs.  L.  A.  Adams,  president  of  the  association ; 
]\Irs.  M.  A.  Townsend,  Mrs.  D.  A.  S.  Vaught,  Mrs.  L.  A.  Schute,  treasurer; 
Mrs.  P.  E.  Pescud,  Mrs.  D.  A.  Given,  Jlrs.  Libano,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Behan,  IMrs. 
Judge  Braughn. 

"  But  few  members  of  the  second  division  of  the  funeral  droped  out 
before  the  cemeteries  were  reached,  although  the  road  was  hot  and  dusty, 
with  no  shade  or  protection  from  the  blazing  sun. 

"  The  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  did  not  participate  in  the  funeral  offi- 
cially, but  'a  number  of  the  members  of  that  organization  attended  the 
funeral  individuall}^ 

THE  THIED  DIVISION. 

"  The  Third  Division  formed  on  Lafayette  street,  north  side,  with  its 
right  resting  on  St.  Charles  street  and  extending  west. 

"  The  division  was  under  the  command  of  Marshal  General  J.  B.  Vinet, 
aided  by  Captains  Nobert  Tregagnier  and  J,  G.  Blanchard.  The  entire 
division  were  arranged  in  carriages  and  wore  white  silk  badges,  on  which 
the  portrait  of  Mr.  Davis  was  stamped  and  bore  appropriate  inscriptions. 

"  After  the  band  came  the  marshal  and  his  aids,  and  they  were  followed 
by  Governors  Francis  T.  NichoUs  of  Louisiana,  Robert  Lowry,  of  Missis- 
sippi, Eagle  of  Arkansas,  Fleming  of  Florida,  Buckner  of  Kentucky,  Rich- 
ardson of  South  Carolina,  Fowle  of  North  Carolina,  Lieutenant-Governor 
Jeffries  of  Lousianna,  Acting  Adjutant  General  Faries,  in  the  order  named. 

"  The  next  carriage  contained  Mrs.  Governor  Nicholls,  her  two  daughters, 
Mrs.  Justice  Poche  and  Colonel  Charles  G.  Larendon,  who  were  followed  by 
Geneial  Wright  of  Georgia,  Chief-Justice  Bermudez,  Associate-Justices, 
Poche  and  McEnery,  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State ;  Judges  Ellis,  King, 
Voorhies  and  Monroe,  of  the  Civil  District  Court;  Judges  McGloinand 
Kelly,  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  ;  Judges  R.  H.  Marr  and  J.  G.  Baker,  of  the 
Criminal  District  Court. 


THE  FUNERAL  PROCESSION.  549 

"The  members  of  Governor  NichoUs'  staff,  consisting  of  Adjutant-GeneraJ 
Burt,  Colonel  Scott,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Fenner,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Cottram, 
and  Colonel  Gillespie,  were  followed  by  State  Treasurer  Pipes,  Secretary  of 
State  Mason,  Auditor  Steele,  Superintendent  of  Public  Education  Breaux, 
and  Commissioner  of  Emigration  Poole. 

"Next  came  Mayor  Shakspeare  and  members  of  the  Council,  among  whom 
were  Messrs.  Lhote,  Hall,  Lynd,  Dudenhefer,  Prague,  Shelleck,  Hodgson, 
Finlay,  Hauer,  Aitken,  Beck,  Brittin,  Borman,  Claiborne,  Daniels,  Delavigne, 
Haag,  Hanemann,  Hirsch,  Hymel,  Keppler,  Lambert,  Landry,  Moulin,  Stock- 
ton, Stoulig,  and  Major  Schaumberg,  secretary  to  the  mayor. 

"The  Board  of  Health  was  represented  by  President  Wilkinson,  Chief 
Sanitary  Inspector  Blanc,  Secretary  Saloman,  Clerks  Lanaux,  Voorhies, 
Coalhasse,  and  Wills.  Representing  the  State  judiciary  officers  were  Messrs. 
Vance,  Carroll,  Lee,  C.  H.  Parker,  I.  W.  Patton,  Thomas  Duffy,  L.  Arnauld, 
James  Renshaw,  Colonel  Z.  Zable,  Samuel  Kohlman,  Joseph  Demoruelle, 
and  Louis  Richards  Higgins. 

"The  Board  of  Trade  delegation  consisted  of  President  Louis  Bush,  Vice- 
Presidents  Hugh  McCloskey  and  Breedlove  Smith,  Secretary  Edwin  Belknapi 
Messrs.  Udolpho  Wolfe,  T.  J.  McMillan,  F.  O.  Trepagnier,  A.  E.  Morphy,  J. 
H.  Lafaye,  W.  A.  Gordon,  A.  LeDuc,  P.  Farrelly,  Garland  Wolfe. 

"  The  public  officials  of  Alabama  followed,  and  were  succeeded  by  the 
staff  and  brigade  of  the  officers  of  Governor  Fowle,  of  North  Carolina. 

"From  the  Louisiana  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  were  Senators 
Goldthwaite,  Larry  O'Donnell,  Cordell,  United  States  Senator-elect  White, 
Duggan,  Bernard  Shields,  and  Representative  Larrieu. 

"The  School  Board  was  represented  by  Superintendent  Eastonand  Messrs. 
Chaffe,  Grandjean,  and  Seay.  Delegations  from  the  Chamber  of  Commerce^ 
Sugar  and  Rice  Exchange,  and  the  Stevedores  and  Longshoremen's  Associa- 
tions followed,  and  the  division  closed  with  thirty-five  members  of  the 
choir." 

FOURTH    DIVISION. 

"The  fourth  division  formed  on  the  south  side  of  Lafayette  square,  head 
resting  on  St.  Charles  street.  Headed  by  a  band  of  twenty-five  pieces,  play- 
ing a  solemn  funeral  dirge,  the  column  presented  a  fine  appearance. 

"Marshalled  by  Colonel  A.  W.  Hyatt,  with  his  aids.  Colonel  Joseph 
Voegtle  and  Dr.  William  Hincks,  the  several  organizations  comprising  this 
division  marched  with  solemn  tread  toward  the  last  bivouac  of  the  dead. 

"At  the  head  of  this  division,  preceded  by  their  band,  marched  the  Uni- 
form Rank  of  Odd-Fellows,  Canton  Columbus  No.  1,  Patriarchs  Militant, 
under  command  of  A.  S.  Dwyer,  nearly  one  hundred  strong.  This  body 
presented  a  magnificent  appearance  in  their  handsome  uniforms  of  dark 
blue  and  helmets  surmounted  by  purple  and  red  plumes. 


55  J  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

"Immediately  behind  came  a  battalion  of  Knights  of  Pythias,  Uniformed 
Eank. 

"A  uniformed  band  preceded  the  Knights.  The  battalion  waa  uniformed 
in  dark  blue,  with  helmets  and  waving  plumes.  They  carried  their  swords 
reversed,  as  did  the  preceding  command.  Orleans  Divisior  No.  1,  and  Asca- 
lon  Division  No.  3  were  in  command  of  Captain  M.  O'Eourke.  Calambe 
Division  of  Plaquemine,  under  command  of  Captain  J  A.  Herbert,  and 
Algiers  Division  of  Algiers,  under  command  of  Captain  A.  Tuff,  completed 
the  battalion  of  over  one  hundred,  all  under  the  command  of  Major  Henry 
Street. 

"The  representatives  from  thirteen  State  camps  of  the  Patriotic  Order  of 
the  Sons  of  America  closed  the  rear  of  the  division.  The  members  of  the 
order  were  dressed  in  black,  and  wore  sashes  of  red,  white,  and  blue,  wilA. 
white  agulets.  The  order  turned  out  over  two  hundred  strong,  and  were 
preceded  by  a  band  playing  funeral  music.  The  appearance  of  this  rising 
order  in  the  line  added  much  to  the  parade." 

THE   FIFTH   DIVISION. 

"When  the  procession  passed  the  corner  of  St.  Charles  and  Girod  streets 
the  fifth  division,  the  head  of  which  rested  on  the  corner,  filed  in  at  the 
allotted  place. 

"  The  fifth  division  was  composed  of  civic  organizations,  and  was  headed 
by  Grand  Marshal  Charles  H.  Soniat  and  his  aids,  ^lessrs.  James  Legendre, 
Walter  Denegre,  George  H.  Theard,  and  G.  A.  Lanaux.  After  the  marshals 
came  a  brass  band,  and  then  followed  1,500  students  from  the  medical  and 
law  departments  of  the  Tulane  University  and  the  high  school  of  the  same 
institution.  The  delegation,  the  largest  in  the  procession,  was  in  charge  of 
Drs.  Miles,  Souchon,  Chaille,  Lewis,  and  Professor  Metz,  and  was  followed 
by  a  delegation  from  the  ambulance  corps,  arrayed  in  their  neat  blue  uni- 
forms. 

"  The  students  from  the  Tulane  University  marched  by  fours,  and  wore 
suspended  from  the  lapels  of  their  coats  a  broad  strip  of  black  ribbon  with 
edges  of  gray.  In  the  centre  of  the  badge  were  inscribed  the  words  'Jeffer- 
son Davis'  in  steel  gray.  The  ambulance  students  were  decorated  with 
stripes  of  crape  tied  about  the  arm.  The  students  from  Mississippi  were 
given  the  place  of  honor  in  the  order  of  march  in  the  delegation,  and  were 
succeeded  by  those  from  Texas  and  other  States,  while  the  students  from 
Louisiana  brought  up  the  rear. 

"Next  came  a  delegation,  two  hundred  and  thirty  strong,  of  students  from 
the  Boys'  High  School,  under  the  charge  of  Professor  J.  V.  Calhoun,  and  in 
respect  to  the  honored  dead  a  thin  strip  of  crape  was  bound  about  the  arm 
of  each  one  in  the  ranks.  The  students  were  divided  into  three  divisions, 
emblematic  of  the  years  of  study  at  the  high  school,  and  were  followed  by 


THE  FUNERAL  PROCESSION.  651 

the  captains  of  all  the  British  steamships  in  port.  The  delegation  num- 
Tjered  twelve,  and  was  preceded  by  a  lur-c  British  flag  diaped  in  mourning. 

"  A  delegation  of  fifty  of  the  members  from  the  Alumni  Association  of  the 
Jesuits'  College  was  the  nest  in  line,  and  were  preceded  by  a  field  band. 
The  badges  worn  by  the  delegates  were  of  white  silk,  with  the  inscription 
'Alumni  Association  J.  C."  printed  thereon  in  black. 

"  Twenty  of  the  members  of  Guibets'  Battery  Benevolent  Association, 
headed  by  President  B.  Eoman,  followed.  They  wore  white  silk  badges, 
with  the  name  of  the  association  printed  thereon.  Jefferson  parish  sent  a 
joint  delegation  of  300  men  under  the  command  of  Mr.  Louis  Fruling.  The 
delegation  consisted  of  150  members  of  the  Lee  Benevolent  Association,  in 
charge  of  Mr.  Edward  Bies,  and  the:  remainder  was  made  up  of  delegates 
from  David  Crockett  Fire  Company  No.  1,  Gould  Fire  Company  No.  2, 
INIechanics'  Hook  and  Ladder,  and  the  Citizens'  and  Taxpayers'  Association. 
The  flags,  three  in  number,  were  draped  with  crape  and  the  men  wore  white 
silk  badges,  beaijlng  the  inscription  :  '  In  memoriam.  [Portrait  of  Mr.  Davis]. 
Died  Dec.  G,  1889.    Jefl'erson  Parish  Delegation.' 

'•  Next  in  line  came  a  delegation  of  twenty-five  from  the  Typographical 
Union  No.  17,  in  charge  of  the  Secretary  Eichard  A.  Norman.  The  delegates 
wore  black  satin  badges,  on  which  the  following  was  inscribed  in  gilt  letters: 
'  Typographical  Union  No.  17,  New  Orleans.'  The  Union  sent  an  elegant 
and  appropriate  floral  offering  to  be  placed  in  the  mound.  The  design  was 
of  natural  flowers  and  stood  five  feet  high — a  crescent  and  star.  Above  the 
crescent  a  dove  was  perched  and  from  either  side  hung  streamers,  on  which 
the  name  of  the  organization  was  inscribed. 

"Headed  by  President  John  Breen,  a  delegation  of  twenty-five  from  the 
Screwmen's  Benevolent  Association  was  the  next  in  line.  Owing  to  the  fact 
that  so  much  shipping  was  going  on  in  the  port  and  so  many  of  the  screw- 
men  were  very  busy  the  full  force  of  the  organization  could  not  attend  the 
funeral,  but  sent  a  delegation.  They  wore  black  silk  badges,  with  white 
rosettes,  and  the  edges  were  fringed  with  gilt.  On  the  badges  the  name  of 
the  organization  was  inscribed. 

"  Following  the  screwmen  came  a  delegation  of  twenty-five  from  the  Cot- 
ton Yardmen's  Association,  under  the  marshalship  of  President  Daniel 
Jlahoney.  They  wore  the  blue  badges  of  the  association,  fringed  with  gilt, 
and  had  their  flag^  furled  about  the  poles  and  bound  with  crape. 

"Then  followed  the  delegation  from  the  Longshoremen's  Benevolent 
Association,  in  charge  of  their  President,  Henry  Ecilly.  Most  of  the  men 
being  busy  working  on  the  levee,  the  association  could  notattendin  a  body. 
They  wore  a  neat  badge  of  mourning. 

"  Headed  by  a  brass  oand  and  under  the  command  of  State  Delegate  Cap- 
tain John  Fitzpatrick  followed  a  hundred  members  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
Hibernians  in  two  divisions,  the  first  in  charge  of  County  Delegate  Joha 


552  THE  DA  VIS  MEMOEIAL    VOLUME. 

Breen,  the  second  headed  by  Mr.  Maurice  Kelley.  The  delegation  consigted 
of  members  fiom  the  six  divisions  of  the  order  and  wore  their  full  regalia  of 
emerald  green  sashes,  bespangled  and  ornamented  with  harps  and  fringe, 
and  bore  the  letters  A.  0.  H.  The  badges  were  of  white  silk  and  bore 
appropriate  inscriptions,  and  the  banner  and  flags  of  the  order  were  heavily 
draped. 

"A  joint  delegation  of  700  members  of  the  Columbia  Athletic  Club  and 
Sons  of  Louisiana  Benevolent  Association  followed  in  the  order  named,  and 
were  in  charge  of  Messrs.  A.  Cared  and  J.  Weinfurther.  The  badges  were 
two  in  number,  of  white  silk,  and  bore  the  inscriptions  •  S.  0.  L./  and  *  C. 
A.  C.,'  respectively. 

"  Twenty -five  representatives  of  all  the  branches  of  the  Catholic  Knights 
of  America,  under  the  command  of  Supreme  Director  James  David  Coleman, 
next  followed.    They  wore  white  silk  memorial  badges. 

"The  Fifth  Division  closed  with  the  entire  force,  300  strong,  of  the  South- 
ern Athletic  Club,  in  charge  of  Second  Vice-President  J.  C.  Campbell.  The 
club  made  a  fine  appearance,  and  wore  small  black  silk  badges  on  which  the 
letters  'S.  A.  C.,'  were  inscribed  in  steel  gray. 

SIXTH  DIVISION. 

"  This  division  formed  on  Julia  street,  with  its  right  resting  on  St.  Charles, 
running  west  and  was  composed  of  representatives  of  the  Firemen's  Chari- 
table Association  of  New  Orleans,  and  the  exempt  and  active  members  of  the 
volunteer  fire  department  of  this  city.  While  the  companies  did  not,  by 
any  means,  turn  out  their  full  membership,  the  average  was  about  thirty 
men,  this  placing  over  1,000  firemen  in  the  line.  They  fell  into  line  in  the 
following  order :  First  came  a  carriage  carrying  in  front  a  magnificent  floral 
ofi'ering,  a  crescent  and  star,  bearing  the  words,  '  Patriot  and  Statesman.' 
In  the  carriage  were  Mr.  T.  N.  Marks,  president  of  the  Fireman's  Charitable 
Association  ;  Charles  A  Butler,  T.  C.  Flannagan,  and  Henry  Schriber.  Fol- 
lowing the  carriage  was  a  band  with  mufiled  drum  and  then  Chief  Thomas 
O'Conner  and  his  assistants,  Andy  Lynch  and  J.  D.  Donovan. 

"  Leading  the  line  of  firemen  was  Volunteer  No.  1,  led  by  her  foreman, 
Jacob  Housser,  with  his  trumpet  draped  with  crape.  About  thirty  firemen 
followed  in  rcii  shirts,  dark  trousers  with  white  caps. 

"St.  Bernard  No.  1,  of  St.  Bernard,  was  second  in  the  line.  The  company 
had  ten  men  with  white  shirts,  black  trousers  and  black  caps,  and  were  in 
charge  of  Foreman  Flescher. 

"  The  following  companies  then  came  in  the  order  named  :  Mississippi 
Steam  Fire  Company  No.  2,  with  forty  men,  wearing  white  shirts,  black 
trousers,  belts,  and  black  gloves.    Foreman  Dan.  A.  Ross  was  in  command. 

"  Vigilent  No.  3,  with  twenty-five  men,  was  in  command  of  First,  Assistant 
Foreman  Charles  Cruso. 


THE  FUNERAL  PROCESSION.  555 

"  Lafayette  Hook  and  Ladder  No.  1,  with  about  twenty  men  in  line,  was 
In  charge  of  Foreman  August  Klein. 

"  Columbia  No.  5,  had  about  twenty-five  men  in  line.  They  were  in  charge 
of  Foreman  James  Walsh. 

"  Louisiana  Hose,  led  by  a  band  of  music,  had  about  thirty  men  in  line. 
They  were  in  charge  of  Foreman  Edward  Schwartz. 

"  Mechanics'  6,  had  thirty  men  in  line.  Mr.  H.  F,  Caymo,  their  foreman, 
was  lit  their  h«ad. 

"  American  Hook  and  Ladder  No.  2,  turned  out  thirty  members  strong. 
They  were  under  charge  of  Foreman  W.  Allen. 

"  Phoenix  No.  8,  with  Foreman  Louis  Knopp  at  their  head,  had  twenty- 
five  men  in  line. 

"  Creole  No.  9,  with  their  Second- Assistant  Foreman  August  Miller  in  the 
lead,  thirty-five  men. 

"  Protector  No.  9,  the  junior  company,  paraded  in  the  rear  of  Creole  9. 

"  Good  Will  No.  l6,  with  Foreman  Max.  T.  Miller,  turned  out  with  twenty- 
five  men. 

"Irad  Ferry  No.  12,  headed  by  a  band  of  music  and  in  charge  of  Foreman 
J.  J.  McGinnis,  had  thirty-five  men  in  line. 

"  Hope  Hook  and  Ladder  No.  3,  F.  A.  Sanchex,  first  assistant-foreman, 
appeared  with  twenty-five  men  in  line. 

"  Perseverence  No.  14,  Foreman  Chris.  Boeshelsen,  had  about  thirty  men 
in  line. 

"  Philadelphia  No.  14,  had  forty  men  behind  their  foreman,  F.  J.  Mackey. 

"  Jackson  No.  18,  in  command  of  F.  S.  Housen,  foreman,  was  represented 
by  thirty  members. 

"  Washington  No.  20,  headed  by  a  band  of  music,  and  led  by  Foreman  J. 
Petrie,  had  twenty -five  men  in  the  line. 

"  Pelican  No.  4,  had  thirty  men  marching  in  the  column. 

"Orleans  No.  21,  had  twenty  representatives. 

"  Jefferson  22,  presented  twenty  men,  in  charge  of  Foreman  J.  Becker. 

"  Chahnette  23  turned  out  with  thirty-two  men,  under  loreman  J   Renne. 

"  Crescent  24  had  twenty  men  in  line,  wearing  red  shirts  and  black  pants. 

"  Metairie  No.  4,  were  representtd  by  a  delegation,  and  were  toilowea  in 
the  parade  by  delegations  from  the  Sixth  District  Fire  Department  repre- 
senting Pioneer  No.  1,  Phillips  No.  4 ;  Young  America  ana  Protector  No.  2. 
They  were  headed  by  Chief  Winn  and  his  aids. 

AT  METAIRIE. 

THE  REMAINS  DEPOSITED  IN  THE  TOMB  OP  THE  ARMY  OF  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA. 

"  The  beautiful  city  of  the  dead,  one  ot  the  handsomest  in  the  United 
States,  selected  as  the  temporary  resting  place  for  the  remains  of  the  illus- 
trious Southerner,  was  never  more  lovely  than  on  yesterday.    Its  bright 


556  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

shelled  walks,  bordered  with  shrubbery,  interspersed  with  ornamental 
trees,  were  never  more  inviting,  and  the  very  atmosphere  was  redolent  with 
the  perfume  of  flowers. 

"  The  chaste  and  elegant  marble  sepulchres  wherein  repose  the  relics  of 
the  loved  and  cherished  departed  shone  with  dazzling  brightness  in  the 
glad  sunlight,  and  attested  by  their  scrupulous  cleanliness  the  care  and  atten 
lion  which  the  affection  of  the  living  have  bestowed  upon  them. 

"  The  tomb  of  the  Association  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  ii 
which  were  interred  the  remains  of  the  ex-President,  occupies  a  point  in 
the  northeastern  portion  of  the  cemetery,  and  is  one  of  the  graves  furthest 
removed  from  its  entrance. 

"  A  number  of  subterranean  marble  vaults,  surmounted  by  a  mound  o! 
turf  forms  the  tomb  upon  which  towers  a  monument  fifty  feet  in  height. 
The  apex  of  this  column  consists  of  a  statute  of  Stonewall  Jackson. 

"  The  tomb  bears  the  following  inscription : 

"'From  Manassas  to  Appomattox,  1861  to  1865.'  It  occupies  a  decider! 
place  of  vantage,  and  from  its  elevated  tableau  commands  an  interesting 
view  of  the  country  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 

"  During  the  early  morning  hours  decorator  J.  H.  Menard  and  a  corps  o^ 
assistants  busied  themselves  in  completing  a  task  at  which  they  were 
engaged  all  through  the  previous  night,  that  of  arranging,  with  judiciou- 
taste,  upon  the  tomb  the  innumerable  floral  tributes  of  love  and  affection 
received  from  the  friends  of  Mr.  Davis  in  the  South.  After  long  and  assid 
uous  labor  the  work  was  finally  finished,  and  a  happier  combination  of  color 
could  not  be  conceived. 

"  With  artistic  hand  and  an  eye  for  the  beautiful,  immortelles,  hyacinths, 
camelias,  lillies,  pansies,  variegated  roses  and  all  the  wealth  of  the  flowery 
kingdom,  wrought  in  tasteful  masterpieces  of  the  florists'  art,  adorned  the 
grave,  which  was  now  truly  metamorphosed  into  a  bed  of  flowers.  As  & 
fitting  climax  the  column  itself  was  festooned  with  laurel  and  oak  leavet 
from  its  base  to  the  top. 

"The  Louisiana  Rifles  received  the  signal  distinction  of  doing  guard  duty 
at  the  grounds,  and  Sergeant  James  Littlefield,  M.  Heisman,  corporal  oi 
the  guard,  with  a  detachment  of  ten  men  from  the  Louisiana  Rifles,  arrivec' 
;;t  the  cemetery  at  9  A.  M.,  and  assumed  charge  of  the  aisles  at  each  intei 
section. 

"  Notwithstanding  the  early  hour,  there  were  then  many  visitors  at  th  3 
burial  grounds,  mostly  strangers,  who  diverted  themselves  by  strolling 
through  this  and  adjoining  cemeteries,  preparatory  to  the  arrival  of  th'^ 
funeral  cortege.  At  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Captain  Charles  Adams,  \n 
command  of  thirty  men,  fully  equipped,  reached  the  cemetery  in  two  fur- 
niture vans  and  took  positions  assigned  to  them  in  keeping  in  check  tLa 
constantly  increasing  crowds. 


THE  BURTAL  5/5? 

"  The  arrival  of  the  Lake  trai  iis  which  reached  the  ground  about  3:30  o'clock 
emptied  into  tiie  cemetery  their  load  of  human  freight,  who  pushed  od 
decorously  and  becomingly  to  the  scene  of  the  approaching  ceremonies. 

"The  richly  attired  lady  and  poorly  clad  woman,  the  cultured  gentleman 
and  the  son  of  toil,  fraterniaed  together  as  though  there  were  no  such  thing 
as  socialties — all  actuated  by  tliesame  impulse,  the  desire  to  pay  final  homage 
to  the  cherished  defender  of  the  Confederacy. 

"  Every  available  point  of  vantage,  every  nook  from  which  the  ceremo- 
nies could  be  seen  with  unbroken  view,  was  soon  seized  by  the  populace 
encircling  the  tomb  at  a  distance  of  one  hundred  yards. 

"  At  3:30 o'clock  the  choristers,  some  thirty  in  number,  arrived  on  the 
grounds  and  took  a  position  on  the  left  of  the  monument,  near  the  spot 
selected  for  the  press. 

"  Shortly  after  their  arrival  the  funeral  procession  advanced  down  the 
main  isle  of  the  cemfetery,  followed  by  the  military  escort. 

"The  various  commands  entered  on  the  south  side  and  formed  in  several 
circles  around  the  monuments  which  they  faced. 

"A  mournful  funeral  dirge  heralded  the  near  approach  of  the  funeral  car. 
which  was  preceded  by  Bishops  Galleher  and  Thompson  and  the  clergy  oJ 
the  different  attendant  denominations  in  carriages. 

"The  clergy  alighting,  aligned  themselves  in  singla  column  in  the  aisle 
leading  to  the  monument  and  immediately  in  front  of  a  richly-covered  bier 
placed  there  to  receive  the  casket. 

"  The  catafalque  bearing  the  casket  then  entered  the  aisle  encircling  the 
monument  at  the  west  end,  and  passing  through  the  cordon  ol  troops,  who 
were  brought  about  face  and  ordered  to  present  arms,  proceeded  to  the  beat 
of  muffled  drum  to  the  aisle  leading  to  the  monumentv 

"  The  pall-bearers,  following,  took  positions  beside  the  clergy,  of  whom 
Bishops  Galleher  and  Thompson  had  mounted  the  mound  and  stood  on 
either  side  of  the  bier. 

"The  casket  was  then  carefully  taken  up  by  a  detachment  of  eight  men 
from  Battery  B,  Louisiana  Field  Artillery,  who,  preceded  by  Captain  Bean- 
ham,  slowly  and  solemnly  marched  up  the  aisle  and  deposited  their  precious 
burden  upon  the  receptacle  provided  for  it.  The  men  formed  in  line  beside 
the  bier. 

"Mrs.  Jefferson  Davis,  attired  in  deep  mourning  and  closely  veiled,  accom- 
panied by  Mr.  Jacob  U.Payne  and  Mrs.  Hayes,  daughter  of  Jefferson  Davis, 
similarly  dressed,  in  company  with  General  Gordon,  walked  up  the  mound, 
the  ladies  taking  seats  on  the  mound  at  the  head  of  the  bier.  The  Fenner 
family  and  other  lady  friends  in  deep  mourning  joined  in  the  procession. 

"  The  scene  at  this  juncture  was  a  solemn  and  impressive  one,  and  will 
live  enduringly  in  the  minds  of  those  who  witnessed  it.  The  east  and  west 
points  of  the  monument  were  thronged  with  a  vast  concourse  of  citizens, 


658  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

reaching  back  some  distance,  in  whose  upturned  faces  was  betrayed  th© 
eager  and  respectful  attention  which  was  subsequently  given  to  the  funeral 
rites. 

"The  ardent  rays  of  the  sun,  at  this  time  not  a  little  uncomfortable 
though  softened  by  a  cool  southern  breeze,  were  endured  uncomplainingly 
by  the  mass  of  humanity  packed  together  with  suffocating  density.  The 
shimmer  of  the  soldiery  in  gay  uniforms  gave  color  to  the  picture,  in  the 
background  of  which  hundreds  of  carriages  were-  standing  or  moving  to 
gome  eligible  place. 

"Bishop  Hugh  Miller  Thompson,  of  Mississippi,  standing  at  the  head  of 
the  casket,  read  this  portion  of  the  office  for  the  dead: 

"  '  Man  that  is  born  of  woman  hath  but  a  short  time  to  live  and  is  full  of 
misery.' 

"  The  choir  then  chanted :  '  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto  me, 
'Write:  From  henceforth  blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord :  Even 
so  saith  the  Spirit;  for  they  rest  from  their  labors.' 

"  The  Lord's  prayer  was  then  recited  by  those  present. 

"  Bishop  Galleher,  standing,  said :  '  In  the  name  of  God,  Amen.  We 
here  consign  to  the  ground  the  mortal  body  of  Jefferson  Davis,  a  servant  of 
his  State  and  country,  and  a  soldier  in  their  armies  ;  sometime  member  of 
Congress  and  Senator  from  Mississippi,  and  Secretary  of  AVar  of  the  United 
States:  the  first  and  only  President  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America. 
Born  in  Kentucky,  on  June  3,  1808,  he  died  on  December  6,  1889,  in  the 
State  of  Louisiana,  and  is  buried  here  by  the  reverent  hands  of  his  people.* 

"  Bishop  Thompson  then  said  the  prayer. 

"At  the  conclusion  of  the  prayer  the  choir  and  people  sang:  '  Rock  of 
Ages  cleft  for  me.' 

"The  services  closed  with  the  bestowal  of  the  benediction  by  Bishop 
Thompson ; 

"  'The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  the  love  of  God,  and  the  fellow- 
ship of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  us  all  evermore.  Amen.' 

"The  casket  was  then  again  taken  up  by  the  Louisiana  Field  Artillery  and 
conveyed  to  the  receiving  vault  at  the  other  end  of  the  tomb,  where  all  that 
was  mortal  of  the  ex-President  of  the  Confederacy  was  placed  at  rest.  The 
funeral  ceremonies,  though  simple,  were  brought  to  an  appropriate  conclu- 
sion, after  military  methods,  by  the  call  of  the  bugle  and  the  firing  of  three 
guns. 

"  Owing  to  the  feebleness  of  3Ir.  Payne,  Mr.  Frederick  A.  Ober,  first  vice- 
president  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  in  behalf  of  President  Frederick 
Washington,  one  of  the  pall-bearers,  took  Mrs.  Jefferson  Davis  down  into 
the  vault.  She  was  followed  by  Llrs.  Hays  and  the  members  of  the  Fenner 
family,  as  also  by  a  delegation  of  the  ladies  of  the  Confederate  Home  Associ- 
ation.   Mrs.  Davis  was  conveyed  back  to  her  carriage  by  Mr.  Ober. 


Me  burial  55fe 


THE    PALL-BEARERS. 

"President  Clark,  of  the  City  Council,  at  11:30  o'clock  called  the  pall- 
bearers into  the  clerk's  office  and  presented  each,  as  an  insignia  of  his 
official  position,  with  a  broad  black  sash  reaching  around  the  shoulder  and 
falling  amost  to  the  ground,  and  a  j:  air  of  black  gloves. 

HONORARY    PALL-BEARERS. 

"  Gov.  Francis  T.  Nicholls,  of  Louisiana ;  Gov.  Robert  Lowry,  of  IMissia- 
sippi;  Gov.  S.  B.  Buckner,of  Kentucky;  Gov.  John  B.  Gordon,  of  Georgia; 
Gov.  J.  P.  Richardson,  South  Carolina  ;  Gov.  D.  G.  Fowle,  of  North  Carolina; 
Gov.  F.  P.  Fleming,  of  Florida  ;  Gov.  James  P.  Eagle,  of  Arkansas. 

"  These  gentlemen  represent  the  Southern  States. 

PALL-BEARERS. 

Gen.  George  "W.  Jones,  of  Iowa ;  Hon.  Charles  E.  Fenner,  of  Louisiana ;  Mr. 
Sawyer  Hay  ward,  of  Mississippi;  Hon.  Thomas  H.  Watts,  of  Alabama, 
(a  member  of  President  Davis's  Cabinet) ;  Commodore  W.  W.  Hunter,  of 
Louisiana  ;  Gen.  Thos.  F.  Drayton,  of  North  Carolina;  Gen.  Jubal  A.  Early, 
of  Virginia  ;Gen.  Albert  G.  Blanchard,  of  Louisiana ;  Gen.  Stephen  D.  Lee, 
of  Mississippi ;  Gen.  Cadmus  M.  Wilcox,  of  Alabama;  Gen.  J.T.Holtzclaw, 
of  Montgomery,  Ala;  Gen.  T.  T.  Munford,  of  Virginia;  Col.  F.  R.  Lubbock, 
ex-Governor  of  Texas ;  Gen.  Samuel  W.  Ferguson,  of  Mississippi ;  Rev.  Dr.  B. 
M.  Palmer,  of  New  Orleans ;  Capt.  Robert  E.  Park,  of  Macon,  Ga. ;  Hon. 
Ethel  Barksdale,  of  Mississippi ;  Gen.  A.  E.  O'Neil,  ex-Governor  Alabama; 
Col.  J.  Stoddard  Johnston,  of  Frankfort,  Ky. ;  Capt.  Jack  White,  of  Hous- 
ton, Tex. ;  Rev.  Dr.  J.  Wm.  Jones,  of  Atlanta,  Ga. ;  Hon.  James  McConnell, 
of  New  Orleans ;  Col.  Henry  J.  Leovy,  of  New  Orleans ;  Col.  Thomas  L, 
Bayne,  of  New  Orleans  ;  Dr.  Joseph  Jones,  of  New  Orleans ;  S.H.  Kenne^ly, 
Esq.,  of  New  Orleans;  Capt.  Thomas  P.  Leathers,  of  New  Orleans  ;  Ex- 
United  States  Senator  B.  F.  Jonas,  of  New  Orleans ;  James  S.  Richardson, 
Esq.,  of  New  Orleans;  Col.  D.  M.  HoUingsworth,  of  New  Orleans;  E.  B. 
Kruttschnitt,  Esq.,  nephew  of  the  late  Judah  P.  Benjamin, of  New  Orleans; 
Gen.  William  Miller  Owen,  of  New  Orleans;  Col.  Wright  Schaumberg,  of 
New  Orleans ;  Major  H.  J.  Hearsey,  of  New  Orleans ;  Major  Thomas  E. 
Davis,  of  New  Orleans;  Mr.  Page  M.  Baker,  of  New  Orleans ;  Mr.  John  W. 
Fairfax,  of  New  Orleans;  Gen.  A.  S.  Badger,  deputy  collector  of  the  port ; 
Capt.  Jacob  Grey,  commander  Department  of  the  Gulf,  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic;  Col.  A.  J.  Lewis,  Army  of  Tennessee,  New  Orleans;  Col.  F.  S. 
Washington,  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  New  Orleans  ;  Col.  John  B.  Rich- 
ardson, Washington  Artillery,  New  Orleans ;  Major  D.  A.  Given,  Confed- 


m  THE  DA  VTS  MEMO  R  TA  L  VO  L  VME. 

erate  Cavalry,  New  Orleans ;  Capt.  J.  A.  Chalaron,  United  Veterans,  New 
Orleans;  Hon.  J.  Numa  Augustin,  Sons  and  Daughters  of  Veterans,  New 
Orleans ;  Hon.  James  G.  Clark,  president  of  the  City  Council,  New  Orleans; 
Col.  William  Preston  Johnston,  president  of  Tulane  University,  New 
Orleans;  Gen.  "VV.L.  Cabell,  of  Texas;  Major W.  H.  Morgan,  of  Mississippi; 
Gen.  P.  B.  M.  Young,  of  Georgia;  Col.  John  C.  Haskell,  of  South  Carolina; 
Col.  John  Overton,  of  Tennessee. 

SOME    OF    THE    NOTABLE    MEN   WHO  WERE  IN  THE  PROCESSION. 

"  Hon.  D.  G.  Fowle,  Governor  of  North  Carolina,  and  escort  of  honor, 
comprising  Col.  W.  H.  Williams,  Col.  John  Cantwell,  Major  E.  G.  Harrell, 
Capt.  William  Grimes,  Capt.  W.  T.  Hallowell,  Lieutenant  T.  H.  Bain,  Lieu- 
tenant J.  R.  Griffin,  Sergeant  W.  T.  Harrison,  Sergeant  Thompson  and  W. 
T.  Dortch,  Jr.,  rode  in  carriages  in  the  line.  The  Governor  was  accompa- 
nied by  his  daughter.  Miss  Helen  Fowle.  The  escort  bore  the  flag  of  the 
First  Regiment  of  the  State  Militia,  and  the  comp.,ny  flag  of  the  Goldsboro 
Rifles,  of  the  Twenty-seventh  Regiment  of  North  Carolina  Volunteers,  in 
the  Confederate  service.  This  flag  was  captured  near  the  close  of  the  war 
by  the  Twenty-seventh.  Massachusetts  Regiment  and  formed  one  of  the 
trophies  of  the  war  which  hung  in  the  State  House  in  Boston  until  four 
years  ago,  when  it  was  returned,  accompanied  by  a  handsome  stand  of 
national  colors  and  a  hearty  recognition  of  fraternity  and  good  will.  The 
escort  made  a  very  admirable  appearance,  heir  uniforms  being  rich  in  gray 
and  gold,  and  their  bearing  essentially  military. 

"Among  the  notable  men  present  yesterday,  acting  in  the  capacity  of 
pall-bearer,  was  the  life-long  friend,  and  for  many  years  the  associate  of 
Jefferson  Davis  in  the  United  States  Army,  Gen.  Thos.  Drayton,  of  Char- 
lotte, N.  C.  Gen.  Drayton  was  in  the  same  class  with  Mr.  Davis  at  West 
Point,  and  yesterday  related  a  number  of  anecdotes  illustrative  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  man.  He  remembers  a  fact,  which  is  not  generally  knwn,  that 
Mr.  Davis,  during  his  stay  at  AVest  Point,  fell  over  a  precipice  and  was 
caught  in  the  branches  of  a  tree  growing  from  a  cliff  forty  feet  below  the 
brow  of  the  hill.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  obstruction,  he  would  have 
fallen  the  full  distance  of  150  feet  and  been  killed  instantly. 

"Gen.  Drayton  was  a  gallant  soldier  from  South  Carolina,  but  for  many 
years  has  resided  in  North  Carolina.  He  is  the  only  surviving  member  of 
the  West  Point  class  of  1828. 

"  Registered  at  the  Continental  Armory :  The  following  visitors  registered 
yesterday  at  the  Continental  Guards'  Armory :  Brig.-Gen.  J.  Q.  Burbridgej 
Third  Brigade  1  Florida  Militia,  Jacksonville,  Fla.;  Capt.  T.P.Richardson. 
Gen.  J.  B.  Gordon,  United  Confederate  Veterans,  Atlanta,  Ga.;  Lieut.-CoL 
James  P.  Eagle,  Reynolds'  Consolidated  Brigade ;  Thomas  W.  Newton,  oi 


NOTABLE  MEN  PRESENT.  561 

Marmaduke's  staff,  Arkansas ;  John  R.  M.  O.  Reily,  Cowan's  Battery,  Vicks- 
bur^,  Miss.;  Lieut.  W.  P.  Burks,  Major  V.  M.  Elmore,  First  Alabama  Cavalry, 
Montgomery,  Ala.;  J.  II.  Iliggins,  Waddell's  Battery,  Montgomery,  Ala.;  C. 
Humphries,  Darden's  Battery,  Copiah  county,  Mississippi ;  Col.  T.  B.  Gra- 
ham, Twentieth  Mississippi  Regiment,  Scott  county,  Miss.;  W.  H.  Gardner, 
Company  G,  Forty-sixth  Mississippi  Regiment,  Scott  county.  Miss.;  Col.  C. 
L.  Sayre,  Adjutant-General,  C.  S.  A.,  Montgomery,  Ala.;  Capt.  R.  B.  Landry, 
Donaldsonville  Artillery,  Donaldsonville ;  Brig.-Gen.  S.  W.  Fergusen,  Con- 
federate States  Cavalry,  Greenville,  Miss.;  S.  B.  Buckner,  C.  S.  A.,  Hart 
county,  Ky.;  Brig.-Gen.  Robert  Lowry,  C.  S.  A.,  Governor  of  Mississippi; 
Berkeley  Green,  Eighteenth  Mississippi  Regiment,  Yicksburg,  Miss.;  J. 
Stoddard  Johnston,  chief  of  staff  to  Gen.  J.  C.  Breckinridge;  Private  H  Lea- 
vitt,  Thirty-sixth  INlississippi  Regiment,  MacComb  City,  Miss.;  W.  L.  Hutch- 
ins,  Company  A,  Louisiana  Cavalry;  Paul  C.  Wyeth,  staff  correspondent 
Vicksburg  Simddj  Democrat;  C.  Devery ;  J.  J.  O'Neil,  Confederate  Guards 
Response  Battalion,  Meridian,  Miss.;  E.  Simonin,  Fifty -sixth  Alabama,  New 
Orleans;  George  A.  McDonell,  M.  D.,  surgeon  Austin's  Battalion  Sharpshoot- 
ers; Mark  R.  Marshall,  First  Tennessee  Artillery,  Bunkie,  La.;  James  C. 
Tappon,  H.  G.  Bunn,  M.  F.  Locke,  W.  S.  Dunlap,  Thomas  W.  Hewton,  C.  D. 
Mixon,  John  T.  Giunochio,  Arkansa;  Col.  W.  L.  Dolz,  Fourteenth  Mississ- 
ippi Regiment,  Jackson,  Miss.;  D.  "W.  Frisby,  Company  A,  Fourth  Louisiana 
Battalion ;  J.  V.  Norten,  Company  E,  Twenty -second  Louisiana  Battalion ; 
J.  W.  Swann,  Company  D,  Dallas  Artillery,  Fourth  Texas  Battalion,  Dallas, 
Tex.;  M.  Gormes,  Jr.,  John  Valandingham,  Vicksburg,  Miss.;  M.  T.  Baxter, 
Twentieth  Regiment,  Mississippi  Volunteers ;  John  V.  Toulme,  Third  Mis- 
sissippi Volunters,  Bay,  St.  Louis,  Miss.;  John  T.  Reiley,  Sixteenth  Missis- 
sippi Regiment,  Army  of  Northern  Virginia;  Geo.  Roden,  Company  H,  First 
Mississippi  Cavalry;  A.W.Levy,  Louisiana  Guard  Artillery;  Capt.  B.  M. 
Milton,  Company  E,  Sixth  Mississippi  Battalion ;  0.  P.  Smith,  Second  Louis, 
iana  Infantry,  Army  of  Northern  Virginia;  John  J.  Wax,  Company  E,  First 
Louisiana  Volunteers;  AV.  W.  Garig,  Eleventh  Louisiana  Infantry;  H.  J. 
Gachet,  Forty-fifth  Alabama  Infantry;  William  H.  Stroube,  Fifth  Louis- 
iana Volunteers,  Army  of  Northern  Virginia;  James  A.  Ramsey,  Twenty- 
seventh  Louisiana  Volunteers,  Army  of  Tennessee;  Thos.  Wax,  Hubert 
Wax,  Sons'  and  Daughters'  Association,  Army  Northern  Virginia;  C 
McGregor,  Fourth  Company  Washington  Artillery ;  John  Hassenger,  Com- 
pany H,  Forty-eighth  Mississippi  Regiment;  W.  W.  Bennett,  Company 
I,  Sixth  Mississippi  Regiment;  Joseph  D.  Carter  and  H.  H.  Cabaniss, 
Georgia  Confederate  Veteran  Association;  T.  B.  Neal,  Forrest's  Cavalry, 
Atlanta,  Ga.;  M.  A.  Harden,  Morgan's  command,  Atlanta,  Ga.;  E.  P. 
Black,  Fourth  Georgia  Regiment,  Atlanta,  Ga.;  Wm.  A.  Wright,  Wright's 
Brigade,  Atlanta,  Ga.;  L.  M.  Park,  First  Georgia  Reserves,  Atlanta,  Ga.; 
Major  Jas.  W.  A.  Wright,  Thirty -sixth  Alabama  Infantry,  Livingston,  Ala.; 

36 


562  IIIF  DAVIS  MEMORIAL   VOLUME, 

R.  J.  Turner,  assistant-surgeon  Thirty-second  and  Forty-eighth  Alabama 
Regiments ;  Thos.  J.  Butler,  Second  Georgia  Cavalry. 

"  The  delegation  representing  the  Confederate  Association  of  Kentucky 
was  headed  by  Gov.  Buckner,  and  was  composed  of  Gen.  Alpheus  Baker, 
Col.  Bennett  11.  Young,  Col.  J.  Stoddart  Johnston,  a  nephew  of  Albert  Sid- 
ney Johnston  ;  Col.  Dick  Wintersmith,  Col.  J.  Cabell  Breckinridge,  son  of 
Gen.  John  C.  Breckinridge ;  Col.  Reginald  H.  Thompson,  Major  Clinton 
McCarty,  Capt.  Randolph  H.  Blain,  Capt.  John  H.  Leathers,  Sergeant-Major 
John  W.  Green  and  Messrs,  E.  Polk  Johnson,  Harry  Weissinger,  James  S. 
Carpenter,  Andrew  Broadus,  John  A.  Armstrong,  Kinney  Smith,  Thomas  P. 
Satten  white,  H.  P.  McDonald,  Allen  Leathers,  T.  D.  Osborne,  of  the  Louis- 
ville Courier-Journal,  Rev.  J.  P  Minnegerode. 

"  Gen.  Basil  Duke  was  to  have  been  here,  but  was  unavoidably  detained. 
Eev.  Mr.  Minnegerode  is  the  son  of  the  reverend  rector  of  the  Episcopal 
Church  of  Richmond,  of  which  Mr.  Davis  was  a  member  and  was  in 
the  church  when,  on  the  historic  Sunday,  Mr.  Davis  was  called  out 
and  given  General  Lee's  dispatch  announcing  the  inevitable  evacuation  of 
Richmond.  Afterward  Mr.  Minnegerode  was  one  of  the  guard  of  the  Con- 
federate treasure,  and  at  Danville  was  overtaken  by  the  ambulance  in 
which  the  President's  family  rode,  and  at  Mrs.  Davis's  invitation  he  made 
one  of  the  party.  The  elder  Rev.  Mr.  Minnegerode  is  still  living,  though 
very  aged  and  too  feeble  to  undertake  the  journey  to  atteiKl  the  obsequies 
of  his  former  parishioner  and  cordial  friend. 

"  The  Louisville  people  came  on  a  special  sleeper,  which  served  them  for 
quarters  while  here,  and  will  leave  for  home  at  5  o'clock  this  afternoon  by 
the  Louisville  and  Nashville. 

"  Among  the  very  large  number  of  Georgians  who  came  on  especially  to 
take  part  in  the  funeral  the  city  of  Atlanta  was  numerously  and  influentially 
represented.  Col.  W.  W.  Hulbert,  superintendent  of  the  Southern  Express 
Company ;  Capt.  E.  B.  Black,  general  agent  of  the  State  Railroad  of  Georgia; 
Gen.  W.  A.  Wright,  Comptroller  of  the  State;  M.  A.  Hardin,  clerk  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  ;  Rev.  Dr.  J.  William  Jones,  a  prominent  Baptist 
clergyman  and  noted  as  a  devoted  chaplain  during  the  war ;  Gen.  P.  M,  B. 
Young,  and  Messrs.  J.  A.  Gramling,  H.  II.  Cabiniss,  T.  B.  Neal,  and  James 
D.  Carter  were  delegates  from  the  Fulton  County  Confederate  Association. 

"  The  State  at  large  was  represented  by  Gov.  Gordon,  J.  Carroll  Payne,  T. 
A.  Hammond,  L.  M.  Park,  R.  E.  Park,  Thomas  Eggleston,  W.  E.  Austin,  L.  B. 
Fols(im,T.  A.  Robinson,  of  Tallula Falls,  Col.,  Charles  Handy,  John  S.  King, 
of  Rome,  and  J.  B.  McCrary.  The  press  was  represented  by  Messrs.  E.  0. 
BruCy,  of  the  Atlanta  Constitution,  and  J.  G.  Taylor,  business  manager  of  the 
Rome  Tribune. 

"  The  capital  of  the  Confederacy  sent  a  small  but  distinguished  delegation, 
consisting  of  Hon.  J.  Taylor  Ellyson,  mayor  of  tho  city ;  Gen.  C.  J.  Ander- 
son, Mr.  George  A.  Smith,  St.  George  Bryan  and  J.  Peter  Williams,  repre- 


^OlABLE  MEN  PJiESENf.  66S 

senting  the  Richmond  Howitzer  Association,  which  is  tiie  '  Washington 
Artillery' of  that  city.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  fiiie-lookin;:,  one-armed  Confederate 
veteran.  He  was  a  member  of  President  Davis's  body-gu.ird  and  speaks  in 
most  affectionate  terms  of  his  old  leader. 

"  The  following  delegates,  representing  Frank  Cheatham  Bivouac  Xo.  1,  of 
Confederate  Veterans,  from  Nashville,  were  present;  Jolin  AV.  Childress, 
Isaac  Litten,  P.  M.  Griffin,  S.  A.  Cunningham,  C.  C.  Cantrell,  W.  L.  Clarke, 
and  W.  S.  Sawrie. 

"The  following  appointees  of  Governor  Taylor  were  present :  Capt.  J.  T. 
Shipp,  of  Chattanooga;  Frank  A.  Moses,  of  Knoxville;  J.  W.  Gaines  and 
E.  A.  Price,  of  Kashville.  Other  Tennesseeans  present :  Tomlinson  Fort,  H. 
C.Jackson,  L.  D.  Colyar,  and  Mr.  Slaughter,  of  Chattanooga;  E.  "W.  Cor- 
mack,  editor  of  the  Nashville  American;  D.  31.  Smith,  Col.  John  Overton 
and  wife,  of  Nashville;  "W.  A.  Collier  and  Rev.  Mr.  Burford,  of  Memphis. 

"  The  Cheathani  Bivouac  sent  an  elegant  floral  design,  which  was  placed 
in  the  City  Hall  with  other  floral  tributes.  No  two  persons  in  Tennessee 
did  more  for  the  Confederate  cause  than  Col.  Overton  and  his  wife.  Pos- 
sessed at  that  time  of  a  large  fortune,  they  contributed  of  its  profusely,  and 
Mrs.  Overton  devoted  her  whole  time  in  nursing,  caring,  and  providing  for 
the  soldiers.  After  the  war  she  would  not  rest  till  she  had  raised  the  money 
and  had  erected  the  beautiful  monument  at  Nashville  which  was  unveiled 
in  May  last. 

"Mr.  R.  M.  Johnston,  managing  editor  of  the  Houston  Post  and  president 
of  the  Texas  Press  Association,  participated  in  the  ceremonies.  Mr.  John- 
ston has  many  friends  here  who  were  pleased  to  meet  him  again.  Beside 
Mr.  Johnston,  Houston  was  represented  by  Dr.  George  McDowell,  Col.  R. 
Cocke,  and  Capt.  Jack  White. 

"Alabama  bore  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  grand  and  solemn  pageant. 
Conspicuous  among  her  representatives  was  the  great  war  Governor  of  the 
State,  Thomas  H.  Watts,  and  the  only  ex-Cabinet  officer  of  the  Confederacy 
present.  While  commanding  the  Seventeenth  Alabama  Regiment  at  Corinth. 
he  received  the  appointment  from  Mr.  Davis  of  Attornev-General,  and 
remained  in  that  position  until  called  by  the  people  of  his  native  State  to 
the  Governorship  in  1863.  He  was  one  of  the  pall-bearers,  and  among  the 
thousands  taking  part  in  the  demonstration  there  was  not  one  for  whom  Mr. 
Davis  felt  deeper  affection  nor  one  more  loyal  and  devoted  to  the  great  chief. 

"Gen.  J.  T.  Holtzulaw,  who  commanded  one  of  the  best  brigades  in  the 
service,  was  another  of  Alabama's  representatives  honored  with  a  place 
among  the  pall-bearers. 

"  Col.  W.  L.  Reese,  ex-mayor  of  Montgomery,  was  one  of  the  aids  to  the 
chief  marshal.  It  was  due  largely  to  him  that  Mr.  Davis  consented  to  visit 
Montgomery  in  April,  1886,  and  assist  in  laying  the  corner-stone  in  the 
Capitol  grounds  of  a  monument  to  the  honor  and  memory  of  the  Confed- 
•rate  dead.    On  that  monameut,  at  the  base,  when  completed,  will  be  five 


1564  THE  DAViS  MEMOPIAL  VOLVMK 

figures,  and  one  of  these,  full  lite  size,  will  be  of  Mr.  Davis.  This  is  the  only 
city  in  the  South  that  has  already  made  arrangements  to  thus  honor  in 
bronze  the  immortal  chieftain. 

"Another  historic  character,  representing  Alabama  by  special  appointr 
ment  of  Governor  Seay,  was  Gen.  James  H.  Lane,  who  won  undying  fame 
as  commander  of  a  brigade  of  North  Carolina  troops,  though  he  was  fre- 
quently at  the  head  of  much  larger  forces.  His  name  and  fame  and  his 
brave  command  form  a  conspicuous  part  of  the  history  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia.  He  is  now  the  professor  of  civil  engineering  in  the 
Alabama  A.  and  INI.  College,  situated  at  Auburn. 

"Alabama  has  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  the  part  borne  by  her  soldiers- 
Her  two  regiments  added  greatly  to  the  impressiveness  of  the  occasion. 
One  regiment,  the  First,  of  Mobile,  was  commanded  by  Lieut.-Col.  Roper, 
Col.  Price  Williams,  though  present,  not  being  well  enough  to  assume  com- 
mand. The  Second  Eegiment  was  in  command  of  Col.  Thomas  G.  Jones, 
of  Montgomery,  who  was  an  officer  of  Gen.  Gordon's  staff  during  many  of 
the  perilous  periods  of  that  splendid  officer's  career.  It  Avas  the  only  State 
sending  two  regiments. 

"  Governor  Seay  was  prevented  by  sickness  from  being  present,  but  his 
entire  staff  was  here  and  had  assignment  in  the  line. 

"  The  Montgomery  Veterans'  Association  was  composed  as  follows :  Mayor 
E.  A.  Graham,  Col.  H.  C.  Tompkins,  ex-Attorney  General  of  the  State ;  Major 
V.  M.  Elmore,  Major  W.  W.  Screws,  Major  C.  L.  3ayre,  Major  W.  P.  Burks, 
E.  P.  Morrissett,  J.  H.  Higgins,  Capt.  James  Jackson,  and  C.  A.  Lanier. 
Accompanying  the  delegation  were  Mrs.  David  Clopton  and  Mrs.  M.  D. 
Bibb.  The  first  named  lady  was  formerly  Mrs.  C.  C.  Clay.  She  was  a 
wife  of  a  senator  in  the  United  States  and  Confederate  Congresses,  who 
for  a  while  was  confined  with  Mr.  Davis  at  Fortress  Monroe  as  a  prisoner  of 
war. 

"  Mrs.  Bibb  is  president  of  the  Ladies'  Memorial  Association  of  Mont- 
gomery, which  is  building  the  monument  on  Capitol  Hill,  in  that  city,  on 
which  is  to  be  the  life  size  figure  of  Mr.  Davis.  They  bore  from  their  asso- 
ciation the  beautiful  floral  tribute  in  the  shape  of  a  monument,  composed  of 
white  flowers,  which  attracted  such  marked  attention. 

"  In  addition  there  were  hundreds  of  citizens  from  every  portion  of  Ala- 
bama who  came  to  take  part  in  the  demonstration. 

"  Colonel  William  G.  Vincent  and  Mr.  A.  H.  May  represented  the  State  of 
Maryland  on  the  authority  of  the  following  telegram  : 

"  Baltimore,  December  9,  1889. 
"  Judge  A.  B.  Kelly,  New  Orleans  : 

"  Will  you,  William  G.  Vincent,  A.  H.  May,  Joseph  Bowling,  and  II.  B. 
Stevens  represent  the  Maryland  Confederate  societies  at  the  obsequies  of 
Jefferson  Davis,  as  it  will  be  too  late  to  attend  ? 

"  Bradley  T.  Johnson." 


NOTABLE  MEN  PBE8ENT,  605 

"  New  Orleans,  December,  10, 1889. 
"  Gen.  Bradley  T.  Johnson  : 
"Judge  Kelly  sick.    The  rest  of  the  committee  will  act  as  requested. 

"  W.  G.  Vincent.' 

"Besides  the  four  military  companies  over  1,000  citizens  of  the  State  of 
Mississippi  and  more  than  200  ladies  came  to  the  city.  Among  the  more 
prominent  were :  Gov.  Lowry ;  Hon.  Thomas  H.  Woods,  Chief  Justice  of 
the  Supreme  Court ;  Hon.  T.  M.  IMiller,  Attorney-General  of  the  State ;  Col. 
Hemmingway,  State  Treasurer ;  Capt.  W.  W.  Stone,  State  Auditor ;  Major 
G.  M.  Govan,  Secretary  of  State;  Hon.  J.  R.  Preston,  State  Superintendent 
of  Education  ;  Major  Sessions  and  Mr.  Kyle,  State  Railroad  Commissioners  ; 
Hon.  George  W.  Carlisle,  Commissioner  of  Emigration ;  Gen.  Stephen  D, 
Lee,  president  A.  arfd  M.  College ;  Col.  J.  L.  McCaskell,  late  United  States 
consul  at  Dublin ;  Major  Pat.  Henry,  Representative  from  Rankin  county; 
Senator  J.  B.  Boothe,  of  Sardis;  Hon.  William  Barber  and  J.  AV.  Persons,  of 
Claiborne ;  Oliver  Clifton,  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court ;  Col.  R.  H.  Henry 
and  Col.  Power,  of  the  CTanon-iec7g'(?r ;  Hon.  Alfred  Stubblefield,  Col.  Holden, 
Capt.  Liddell,  Senator  Jones,  of  Wilkson  county  ;  Major  Hill,  of  Canton ; 
E.  A.  Thompson,  of  Aberdeen;  E.  T.  Sykes,  R.  0.  [Reynold,  Jr.,  Dr.  J.  M. 
Buchanan  of  Meridian,  Dr.  B.  F.  Ward,  of  Winona ;  Dr.  T.  J.  Mitchell,  of 
Jackson,  superintendent  of  the  State  Insane  Asylum  ;  Dr.  Sanford,  of  Cor- 
inth ;  Dr.  Kittrell,  of  Black  Hawk  ;  Col.  Doss,  superintendent  of  the  State 
Penitentiary  at  Jackson;  Col,  Morgan,  of  Mississijipi  City;  Hon.  M.  M 
Evans,  Lieutenat-Governor-elect ;  J.  J.  Evans,  of  Aberdeen,  State  Treasurer- 
elect ;  Dr.  McSwine,  of  Grenada;  Senator  Bloomfield,  of  Scranton;  Mr. 
McCormick,  of  Heidelberg;  Capt.  Floweree,  of  Vicksburg;  Capt.  P.  K. 
Mayers,  of  Scranton ;  Mr.  Elmer,  of  Biloxi ;  D.  M.  Watkins,  of  Columbia ; 
J.  G.  Bowers,  of  Bay,  St.  Louis;  Hon.  Samuel  Terrill;  District  Attorney 
Neville,  of  De  Kalb ;  Judge  T.  B.  Graham,  of  Forrest ;  Mayor  Pelham,  of 
Pascagoula,  and  Senator  Roderick  Seal,  of  Bay  St.  Louis. 

"Dr.  J.  M.  Heard,  Dr.  O.  C.  Brothers,  Capt.  S.  M.  Roane,  Col.  John  Hen- 
derson, editor  of  the  Forum,  were  the  representatives  of  West  Point. 

"|From  Warren  county  there  were  two  members  of  Jefferson  Davis's. 
First  Mississippi  Rifles,  J.  A.  Herold  and  William  Walker;  the  remnant  of 
the  regimental  colors  of  the  Ninth  Mississippi  Regiment,  borne  by  its  color 
bearer,  Robert  Paxton,  who  lost  his  right  arm  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Vicksburg  Cadets,  the  first  company  that  left  for  Pen- 
sacola,  which  was  termed  the  "  Boy  Company,"  its  eldest  member  being 
under  twenty-one  years  of  age. 

"  Florida  was  represented  by  Gov.  F.  P.  Fleming,  accompanied  by  Hon. 
W.  W.  Chipley,  State  Senator  C.  B,  Parkhill,  Capt.  George  Slocumb,  Capt. 
W.  F.  Lee,  Mr.  Boykiu  Jones,  Mr.  A.  C,  Blount,  Jr.,  Mr.  W.  L,  Wittich, 


666  THE  DAVIS  MEMOBIAL  VOLUME. 

Judge  Frank  Maura,  of  Pensacola,  Fla.;  Gen.  J.  Q.  Burbridge,  Mr.  Dexter 
Hunter,  Mr.  B.  II.  Hopkins,  of  Jacksonville,  Fla. ;  and  Major  D.  Buddington, 
of  Green  Cove  Springs,  Fla. 

"  Tlie  South  Carolina  delegation  arrived  in  the  city  with  the  Georgia  and 
North  Carolina  delegations,  and  after  registering  at  the  headquarters  of  the 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  secured  quarters  at  the  St.  Charles  Hotel.  The 
delegation  consists  of  Governor  John  Peter  Richardson,  Colonel  Isaac  (i. 
McKissick,  Colonel  John  C.  Haskell,  Captain  A.  F.  O'Brien,  Captain  E.  R. 
Hemphill,  Mr.  Jere  Smith  and  Mr.  E.  P.  McKissick,  of  the  News  and  Courier 
of  Charleston.  Both  Colonel  Haskell  and  Captain  O'Brien  are  one-armed 
Confederate  soldiers,  and  Colonel  McKissick,  who  wears  the  badge  of  the 
A.  N.  v.,  presented  to  the  late  Captain  F.  W.  Dawson,  of  the  News  and 
Courier,  limps  from  the  weight  of  minie  balls. 

"  The  delegation  was  taken  in  charge  yesterday  by  Colonel  Joseph  C. 
Haskell,  a  South  Carolinian,  and  now  a  resident  of  Louisiana,  and  intro- 
duced to  all  the  prominent  people  at  the  City  Hall. 

"  On  behalf  of  the  Ladies'  Memorial  Association  of  Columbia,  Mr. 
McKissick,  of  the  iVews  an(i  Courier,  presented  a  lovely  sheaf  of  palmetto 
leaves,  gathered  by  white  and  blue  ribbon  and  crape,  which  was  forwarded 
by  the  ladies  by  the  delegation.  It  was  an  appropriate  floral  tribute  from 
the  devoted  women  of  South  Carolina. 

"Texas  had  present  a  very  large  delegation,  among  whom  were  noted  R. 
M.  Johnson,  editor  Houston  Post,  and  President  of  the  Texas  Press  Associ- 
ation, and  Captain  Jack  "White,  of  Houston,  General  W.  L.  Cabell,  ('  Old 
Tige'),  F.  II.  James,  Messrs.  Ilevefood  and  Melton,  and  Dr.  Houston  and 
wife,  of  Dallas,  Hon.  Mr.  Lightfoot  and  wife,  of  Paris,  ex-Governor  F.  R. 
Lubbock,  Captain  John  Orr,  and  Major  Goree,  of  Austin,  and  many  others 
from  all  over  the  State. 

"  General  "\V.  L.  Tappan,  of  Helena,  and  ex-postmaster  Newton,  of  Little 
Rock,  accompanied  Governor  Eagle,  of  Arkansas. 

THE  FLOEAL  TEIBUTES. 

"The  flowers  of  all  varieties  sent  from  every  portion  of  the  country  to  do 
reverence  to  ex-President  Davis,  were  arriving  Friday  morning  until  the 
last  moment  before  the  funeral.  Those  who  believed  that  every  possibility 
in  the  way  of  floral  tributes  had  been  realized  the  evening  before,  were 
filled  with  astonishment  when  they  saw  the  accessions  the  morning  brought. 
The  atmosphere  seemed  vibrant  with  a  concord  of  exquisite  perfumes,  mak- 
ing the  air  rich  with  the  fragrance  of  oxotics,  wild  flowers,  and  pungent 
evergreens.  Associations  from  a  distance  who  trusted  to  having  their  ofi'er- 
ings  made  in  the  city,  were  necessarily  delayed  by  the  press  upon  the  local 
florists,  consequently  many  pieces  failed  to  arrive  until  a  late  hour.  Every 
State  and  city  were  represented  by  costly  tributes  of  affection  woven  in  rare 
winter  flowers. 


FLORAL  TRIBUTES.  567 

"  Vicksburg  sent  a  great  square  pillow  of  scarlet  geraniums  with  her  name 
outlined  in  violet  immortelles  upon  a  broad  band  of  double  white  geraniums, 
the  whole  fringed  willi  smilax. 

"  The  ]Misses  Stringfelluw, '  with  loving  sympathy  to  our  beloved  Presi- 
dent/ sent  a  rich  pillow  of  violets  and  sheaf  of  wheat  in  a  sickle  of  immor- 
telles. Also  from  Montgomery's  Ladies'  Confederate  Memorial  Association, 
Mrs.  ]\I.  D.  Bibb,  president,  came  a  large  vase  of  hyacinths  and  rose  buds, 
from  which  sprung  a  superb  column  of  yellow  and  white  jonquils  banded 
with  dark  purple  violets,  the  whole  some  f  mr  feet  in  height.  Mrs.  G. 
Devereux  sent  a  Ijig  pillow  of  roses  and  ivy  and  ilrs.  Culbertson,  librarian 
at  the  City  Hall,  handsome  plaque  of  rose  buds. 

"  Mobile  was  lavish  in  her  oflferings.  The  Lee  Association  of  that  city,  of 
which  Mr.  Davis  was  an  honorary  member,  sent  a  magnificent  tribute,  the 
design  a  vacant  chair.  Glorious  camelias,  white  as  snow,  were  mixed  with 
fine  mignonette,  feathery  ferns  and  Roman  hyacinths  to  weave  the  tall  back, 
with  its  white  cross,  the  broad  arms  and  royal  crown  above.  This  was  one 
of  the  most  splendid  of  the  numerous  handsome  pieces  in  the  Council  Cham- 
ber. Later  in  the  day  Miss  Burns  and  Miss  Colver,  who  brought  the  chair, 
pinned  on  a  broad  band  of  white  silk  with  the  words, '  To  our  honored  Pres- 
ident,' and  above  a  square  of  satin,  on  which  was  written  : 

"  And  leaving  in  battle  no  blot  on  hig  name. 

Looks  proudly  to  heaven  from  the  deathbed  of  fame, 

Their  tears  for  the  mighty  dead,  their  hopes  for  his  resurrection. 

'"Florida's  tribute'  was  outlined  on  a  wide  scarf  thrown  across  a  great 
Itillow  of  lilies,  violets,  camelias,  and  roses,  with  the  initials  '  J.  D.'  in 
immortelles.  A  Confederate  flag  made  into  a  superb  square  of  delicate 
flowers,  with  'Our  President' traced  below,  was  sent  with  loving  sympathy 
from  the  Ladies'  Confederate  IMemorial  Association  of  Jlemphis. 

"  The  Eichmond  Howitzers,  through  two  tried  veterans,  St.  George  Bryan 
and  J.  P.  "William?,  represented  their  gallant  company  with  a  magnificent 
shield  of  violet  immortelles,  having  an  arch  of  palm  leaves  above.  On  this 
dark  purple  background  a  tall,  white  lighthouse  was  raised,  typifying  the 
Constitution,  and  down  the  centre  was  written 'Jefierson  Davis,  aguideand 
light  for  his  people.'  Below  were  two  crossed  cannon  in  the  artillery  colors, 
ycUovv-  and  blue,  with  a  crimson  sabre  and  bayonet  and  a  scarf  having 
the  word  'Fame'  outlined.  The  two  widespread  doors  were  the  battle 
flag  of  the  Confederacy  and  the  regular  Confederate  flag  in  flowers.  From 
tho  ladies  of  Beauvoir  a  tall  cross  of  roses.  Mrs.  R.  C.  Wood  a  basket  of 
jessamines  and  roses.  Mr.  and  !Mr3.  John  A.  Morris  a  large  harp,  the  strings 
of  smilax  and  frame  of  costly  flowers,  surmounted  by  a  dove  with  a  scarf 
in  its  mouth. 

"The  Girls'  High  School  sent  another  large  plaque  of  roies ;  Mrs.  Felix 
Lemongi,  a  cross  of  flowers;  Messrs.  Sawyer  and  Sam.  Haywood,  an  anchor 
of  roses. 


568  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

"The  Louisiana  Eifles  sent  a  magnificent  cross  four  feet  high  of  elegant 
design,  admirably  put  up ;  the  Goldsboro'  Eifles,  of  North  Carolina, a  hand- 
some bouquet;  the  Ladies'  Confederate  Association^  of  Kentucky,  a  pyramid 
of  rare  flowers  with  a  tall,  exquisite  column  of  roses  six  feet  in  height. 
The  word  '  Kentucky '  was  written  in  red  rosebuds  on  the  white  back- 
ground.   Mrs.  Morris  McGraw,  a  column  and  cross  with  dove  at  the  base. 

"From  the  Eichland  County  (South  Carolina)  Fireman's  Memorial  Asso- 
ciation came  a  palmetto  branch  tied  with  crape  and  red  and  white  ribbons. 
A  palmetto  was  sent  by  Mrs.  Henry  Cheeves. 

"There  were  numberless  other  floral  designs  received  yesterday  morning 
with  a  line  to  say  from  whence  they  came :  Mr.  Charles  Eble,  a  beautiful 
tribute  from  the  Continental  Guards,  a  snow-white  crown,  with  a  star  of 
roses  and  dove;  the  children  of  McDonogh  No.  11  sent  a  large  cross,  and  the 
Montgomery  Greys  an  anchor  of  roses ;  a  beautiful  sword  and  shiel  i  of 
white  jessamine  was  anonymous;  Typographical  Union  No.  17  sent  a 
superb  design  in  delicate  natural  flowers,  a  tall,  flnely-curved  crescent,  with 
the  cross  full  flve  feet  high,  surmounted  by  a  dove  with  outstretched  wings." 

THE    SALUTES. 

"  When  the  procession  started  and  the  music  of  the  many  bands  was  play- 
ing funeral  music,  the  tread  of  the  soldiers,  the  roll  of  carriages  was  hushed 
at  intervals  by  the  regular  boom  of  cannon,  firing  the  last  salutes  appro- 
priate to  the  burial  of  a  military  hero. 

■'*-The  salutes  were  fired  by  details  from  Battery  B,  Louisiana  Field  Artil- 
lery. 

"Detachment  No.  1,  stationed  at  Canal  and  Levee  streets,  Veteran  Ser- 
geant Emile  Moses  commanding,  was  composed  of  Veteran  C.  H.  Nobles, 
Active  Sergeant  J.  W.  Jay,  Corporal  C.  F.  Dufour,  Corporal  S.  P.  Kidwell, 
Privates  J.  J.  Murray  and  Thomas  KeefFe.  The  detachment  began  firing  at 
11.30  A.  M.  three-minute  guns,  and  fired  twenty  rounds. 

"  Gun  detachment  No.  2,  at  the  corner  of  Canal  and  Claiborne  streets, 
comprised  Corporal  P.  P.  Hanley,  gunner ;  L.  A.  Livaudais,  Jr.,  No.  1 ;  F.  E. 
Andrews,  No.  2 ;  J.  L.  Schallaire,  No.  3 ;  H.  F.  Lochte,  Jr.,  No.  4 ;  G.  A, 
Henderson,  No.  5.  They  fired  from  1:30  P.  IM.  until  2  P.  M.  every  five 
minutes,  and  then  every  ten  minutes  till  3:45  P.  M." 

NOTES. 

"  Capt.  John  Orr,  of  Austin,  Tex.,  was  among  the  veteran  visitors  who 
paraded  yesterday.  Capt.  Orr  was  adjutant  of  the  Sixth  Louisiana  during 
the  war,  and  at  one  time  was  prominent  in  newspaper  circles  here.  He  is 
one  of  the  few  soldiers  who  received  a  bayonet  wound  during  the  war.  It 
happened  during  the  battle  of  "Winchester.  The  cajotain  was  attempting  to 
capture  the  Union  colors,  which  were  being  carried  off  the  field  by  a  sol- 
dier, when  a  Federal  infantryman  charged  and  seriously  wounded  him  with 
a  bavonet. 


NOTES  AND  INCIDENTS.  569 

"Among  other  veterans  ■who  showed  their  zeal  and  loyalty  to  the  dead 
chieftain  was  the  one-armed  ex-Confederate,  R.  E.  Paxton,  of  Vicksburg, 
Miss.  He  carried  the  colors  of  the  Ninth  Mississippi  Eegiment  (the  same 
as  he  bore  during  the  war)  in  Tucker's  Brigade,  Hindman's  Division,  Hood's 
Corps,  Armj'  of  Tennessee. 

"A  mistake  was  made  in  failing  to  give  the  ladies  of  Dallas  credit  for  the 
splendid  floral  Ship  of  State  sent  by  them  to  honor  the  dead  ex-President. 
It  was  a  masterpiece  in  flowers,  made  entirely  of  Texas  blossoms,  M'oven  by 
loving  Texan  fingers  and  brought  to  the  bier  of  the  chief  by  a  distinguished 
delegation  of  veterans  from  the  Lone  Star  State.  The  design  was  some 
five  feet  in  length,  with  three  tall  masts  and  the  rigging  of  delicate  smilax 
vines.  Confederate  flags  floated  from  the  masts,  and  on  one  side  was  out- 
lined, 'We  mourn  our  dead,'  and  on  the  other,  'The  Lost  Cause.' 

"  Capt.  Isaac  D.  Stamps,  whose  widow  followed  in  the  family  cortege  of 
Mr.  Davis,  was  killed  at  Gettysburg  in  1863.  Owing  to  a  battle-field  order, 
his  body  could  not  be  removed  for  some  months  afterward. 

"It  was  in  December,  1863,  jus  twenty-six  years  ago,  that  his  body  was 
received  in  Richmond,  was  honored  by  military  services  conducted  from 
Grace  church,  and  thence  conveyed  by  family  and  military  escort  to  his  last 
resting  place  in  Woodville,  Miss. 

"  Capt.  Stamps  was  the  son  of  Mr.  Davis's  elder  sister,  Mrs.  Wm.  Stamps, 
whose  influence  was  so  great  in  shaping  the  character  of  the  great  states- 
/nan. 

"Mr.  Davis,  moved  by  the  helplessness  of  the  young  wife  and  two 
orphaned  daughters,  pledged  himself  to  be  a  father  to  them,  a  pledge  which 
he  faithfully  kept  through  tvrenty-six  struggling  years. 

"A  very  sad  incident  connected  with  the  obsequies  of  Mr.  Davis  is  the 
fact  that  Miss  Jeannie  Anderson,  his  grandniece,  reached  New  Orleans  too  late 
yesterday  morning  to  join  the  family  in  taking  a  last  look  at  the  face  of  Mr. 
Davis.  Her  mother  was  Miss  Ellen  Davis,  a  niece  of  ex-President  Davis, 
who  is  now  residing,  for  the  benefit  of  her  health,  at  Spring  Hill,  near 
Mobile.  The  news  of  his  death  caused  |such  a  prostration  to  Mrs.  Ander- 
son that  the  true-hearted  little  daughter  did  not  know  till  the  last  minute 
of  starting  that  she  might  come  as  a  representative  of  her  branch  of  the 
illustrious  household.  She  came,  however,  in  time  to  follow  the  honored 
bier  of  her  uncle,  and  to  weep  with  the  multitude  of  sorrowing  folloM^ers. 

"Among  the  many  notable  characters  who  came  to  pay  their  last  tribute 
to  the  memory  of  Jeflerson  Davis  was  Capt.  Jack  White,  of  Houston,  Tex. 

"  Capt.  White  is  now  chief  of  police  of  Houston ;  and  a  braver  man  never 
lived.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Davis  Guards  during  the  war,  which  was 
composed  of  forty-two  brave  Irish  hearts,  in  command  of  Capt.  Dick  Dow- 
ling. 

"The  command  was  stationed  at  Sabine  Pass,  and  did  noble  service  in 
tlie  cause  they  espoused. 


570  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

•*  The  lamented  ex-President  of  the  Confederacy,  in  his  History  of  the 
"War,  refers  to  the  many  heroic  deeds  of  this  company,  and  especially  their 
Buccessful  repulse  of  the  Federal  fleet  at  Sabine  Pass.  Their  many  valorous 
deeds  and  brave  and  unflinching  feats  have  passed  into  history. 

"This  small  company  of  soldiers  had  received  orders  to  evacuate  the  pass, 
as  Federal  vessels  were  approaching  in  large  numbers.  They  refused  to 
evacuate,  and  calmly  awaited  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  "When  the  fleet 
came  up,  the  garrison  made  a  gallant  defense,  and  succeeded  in  capturing 
one  gunboat  and  blowing  up  another,  and  making  prisoners  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty-five  men,  besides  killing  fifty  or  sixty  of  the  enemy.  They  suc- 
ceeded in  repelling  the  Federal  fleet,  although  it  consisted  oi  Hfteen  vessels. 

"  The  brave  handful  of  men  had  only  two  old  twenty-four  ijoundcrs. 

"  Only  one  man  in  the  Davis  Guards  was  injured,  receiving  a  slight  scratch 
under  the  arm  from  a  piece  of  shell." 

The  very  full  and  admirable  report  of  the  Times-Democrat  has  left  us 
neither  space  nor  occasion  to  add  anything. 

MASS  MEETING  OF  THE  UNITED  CONFEDERATE  VETERANS. 

A  fitting  close  of  the  great  day  of  the  funeral  was  a  mass  meeting  held  at 
the  hall  of  the  Washington  Artillery — the  largest  in  the  city — at  8  o'clock 
under  ^he  auspices  of  the  "  United  Confederate  Veterans"  of  which  the  gallant 
General  John  B.  Gordon,  of  Georgia,  is  commander. 

It  was  thought  that  the  opportunity  for  gathering  together  so  large  a  num- 
ber of  representative  Confederates  coming  from  all  of  the  States,  and  repre- 
senting every  army  and  every  arm  of  the  Confederate  service  should  not 
be  neglected;  and  although  the  call  was  issued  too  late  for  it  to  be  seen  by 
all,  and  many  were  broken  down  by  the  fatigues  of  the  day,  there  assembled 
one  of  the  largest  r^rcsentoife  meetings  of  Confederates  held  since  the  war. 

It  was  one  of  the  most,  enthusiastic  meetings  we  have  ever  attended,  and 
all  went  away  counting  t  a  privilege  to  have  been  there. 

At  8  o'clock  President  Fred.  "Washington,  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Vir- 
ginia, called  the  meeting  to  order  and  briefly  stated  its  object,  speaking  as 
follows : 

"  Companions  and  soldiers  of  the  Confederacy. — You  are  called  to  attend 
this  evening  a  special  meeting  under  the  name  of  Confederate  Veterans, 
and  I  will  now  present  to  you  the  general  commanding.  Gen.  John  B.  Gor- 
don, of  Georgia." 

At  the  mention  of  Gen.  Gordon's  name  the  applause  was  deafening,  and 
as  the  battle-scarred  veteran  took  his  seat  on  the  rostrum,  he  was  greeted 
with  cheers  long  and  loiid. 

Gen.  Gordon  spoke,  in  substance,  aa  fo  Jows : 
"Brother  Soldiers: 

"My  sensibilities  are  deeply  -stirred  by  this  greeting 
from  old  comrades,  many  ot  whom  I  now  meet  for  the  first  time  since  our 
flag  went  down  in  defeat. 


MEETING  OF  CONFEDERATES.  571 

'•  Without  any  time  for  preparation,  or  one  moment's  consecutive  thought, 
you  must  allow  mo  to  speak  as  the  spirit  of  the  occasion  maj  prompt 

"To  mo  thia  is  one  of  the  saddest  and  yetsweetest  and  proudest  occasions 
of  all  my  life.  Saddest,  because  we  have  carried  to  his  last  resting  place  the 
great  chieftain  whom  we  loved,  followed,  and  honored.  Sweetest,  because 
we  have  laid  him  to  rest  after  life's  fitful  fever'  with  ali  the  honors  we 
could  bestow,  embalmed  in  the  esteem  and  boundless  affections  ol  great  and 
grateful  people.  Proudest,  because  it  was  my  fortune  to  participate  in  giving 
to  that  grand  man,  dead  as  he  was,  the  tribute  of  my  respect  anc  love;  and 
now  the  privilege  of  taking  you  all  to  my  heart  and  saying  as  he  would 
have  said  with  the  last  lisp  of  his  tongue,  God  bless  you,  my  fellow-suf- 
ferers 

'  It  was  my  fortune  to  know  Mr.  Davis  well,  although,  as  stated  on  another 
occasion,  I  saw  him  but  twice  in  that  eventful  period  from  18G1  to  the 
autumn  of  1SG5.  I  saw  him  on  the  battle-field  of  Manassas,  as  he  rode  in 
triumph,  with  the  stars  anc'  bars  of  the  Confederacy  floating  iri  the  white 
sraokc  of  battle,  and  with  the  shouts  of  his  victorious  legions  ringing  in  his 
ears. 

"The  next  time  I  saw  him  was  in  prison  at  Fortress  Monroe.  It  is  no 
exaggeration  to  say  that  he  rose  to  grander  height  as  prisoner  of  State,  as 
self-poised  and  unbending  he  bore  his  misfortunes  and  wore  his  shackles  for 
aL  his  people.  I  have  followed  his  course  and  marked  his  career  from  that 
houi  to  this  M'ith  an  unfaltering  faith  that  he  would  neither  lower  this  high 
standard  nor  betray  the  holy  trust  which  he  carried  in  his  person.  I  never 
doubted  for  one  moment  how  he  would  live  or  how  he  would  die,  and  I 
have  not  been  disappointed. 

"  To  us,  whatever  it  may  be  to  mankind,  it  is  a  glorious  heritage  that  this 
Southland  has  produced  so  grand  a  vicarious  sufferer.  Here  is  a  man  upon 
whom  the  g:;zc  of  Christendom  was  concentrated,  and  upon  whom  criticism 
ha{  expended  all  its  arrows,  and  yet  no  blemish  is  found  in  his  private 
character. 

"  It  was  fitting  that  around  his  bier  and  his  body,  sacred  tons,  should  have 
been  wrapped  the  flag  that  went  down  with  his -fall  from  power.  But  it 
was  also  fitting  that  above  his  dead  body  the  stars  and  stripes  of  the  repub- 
lic, for  the  honor  and  glory  of  which  his  blood  was  shed,  should  also  have 
floated. 

"  Could  his  cold  lips  speak  his  injunction  would  be  to  us  be  true  to  your 
Confederate  memorico ;  be  true  to  the  past,  but  be  true  to  the  future  of  the 
Union  and  the  republic  as  well. 

"  The  flag  of  the  republic,  which  is  our  flag  in  all  the  ages  to  come,  was 
made  dearer  because  Jefferson  Davis  fought  in  its  defense.  It  is  a  glorioua 
thought  to  mo,  as  doubtless  to  you,  that  there  is  not  a  star  upon  its  blue 
field  that  has  not  been  made  brighter  bv  Southern  courage  and  Southern 


672  TBE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

patriotism.  That  there  is  not  one  of  its  red  stripes  that  is  not  made  deeper 
and  richer  by  Southern  blood.  That  there  is  not  one  of  its  white  lines  that 
has  not  been  made  purer,  whiter  and  holier  by  Southern  character  in  all 
public  offices. 

"  Now,  my  countrymen,  I  come  to  the  debt  we  owe  the  living.  Mr.  Davis 
is  dead.  The  grief  is  ours  full  and  sacred.  His  fame  belongs  not  only  to 
the  South  but  to  his  country  and  to  Christendom.  Ours  it  is  to  cherish. 
Ours  the  still  higher  privilege  of  taking  care  of  that  memory  by  taking  care 
of  those  who  were  impoverished  in  our  cause.  I  have  been  told  since  I 
came  to  New  Orleans  that  his  widow,  following  his  illustrious  example, 
declines  to  accept  sucli  tributes  as  we  may  choose  to  offer. 

"  My  brothers,  the  reply  I  make  is,  that  we  did  not  ask  the  consent  of 
Jefferson  Davis  or  of  his  family,  when  we  put  the  burden  upon  him  that  led  to 
the  shackles  for  our  sakes,  nor  will  we  consult  any  one  now,  when  we  choose 
to  pay  the  tribute  due  to  him  and  to  his  children,  out  of  our  pockets.  If  it 
be  thought  best  to  pay  it  in  a  particular  channel,  all  right,  but  calling  God 
to  witness  the  purity  of  motive  and  consecration  which  we  feel  in  this 
duty,  we  intend,  because  of  our  love  for  him  as  our  representative  ;  because 
of  our  love  for  those  who  have  shared  his  fate ;  because  of  our  love  for  our 
own  honor,  we  intend  to  see  to  it  that  his  wife  and  children  do  not  suffer 
want. 

"The  outside  world  may  not  appreciate  it,  but,  so  far  as  you  and  I  are 
concerned,  we  feel  that  not  one  dollar  of  property  is  ours  so  long  as  his  wife 
and  his  children  need  our  assistance.  This  we  intend  to  render ;  because 
Southern  manhood  demands  it  as  a  tribute  to  the  man  who  suffered  for  us. 
I  shall  not  insult  you  by  asking  you  if  you  are  ready. 

"Governor  Gordon  announced  the  following  vice-presidents:  General  S. 
D.  Lee,  of  Mississippi ;  Governor  S.  B.  Buckner,  of  Kentucky;  Governor 
Robert  M.  Lowry,  of  Mississippi;  ex-Governor  T.  H.  Watts,  of  Alabama; 
General  C.  M.  Wilcox,  of  Alabama ;  General  AV.  L.  Cabell,  of  Texas;  Gen- 
eral Jubal  Early,  of  Virginia ;  General  Francis  T.  NichoUs,  of  Louisiana ; 
General  P.  M.  B.  Young,  of  Georgia;  Governor  Eagle,  of  Arkansas;  Gover- 
nor Fleming,  of  Florida:  ex-Governor  Lubbock,  of  Texas;  Governor  Fowle, 
of  North  Carolina ;  General  Ferguson ;  General  Munford,  of  Virginia ;  Com- 
modore Hunter,  of  Louisiana;  Hon.  J.  T.  Ellyson,  mayor  of  Richmond,  Va." 

Lieutenant-General  S.  D.  Lee,  of  Mississippi,  presented  the  following 
resolutions: 

"  Having  come  from  the  tomb  Avhere  we  have  deposited  the  cold  clay  of 
our  grand  old  chief,  where,  for  a  time,  Stonewall  Jackson  stands  sentinel 
over  his  old  commander,  we,  the  united  Confederates,  deem  it  proper  to  put 
on  record  some  expression  of  our  feelings;  therefore 

'^Resolved,  1.  That  we  mourn  the  death  of  our  leader  as  children  for  a 
father,  and  desire  to  say  that  we  loved  him  living  and  revere  him  dead  aa 


TRIBUTES  OF  CONFEDERATES.  573 

one  of  the  bravest  soldiers,  ablest  statesmen,  most  peerless  orators,  truest 
patiiot  and  most  stainless  Christian  gentleman  that  the  world  ever  saw. 

"2.  That,  leaving  the  question  of  the  final  resting  place  entirely  to  the 
widow  and  daughters,  where  it  properly  belongs,  and  not  venturing  even  to 
make  a  suggestion  on  the  subject,  we  hereby  pledge  ourselves  that,  whatever 
may  be  the  place  decided  on,  we  will  see  to  it  that  the  grave  is  properly 
decorated  and  that  there  shall  be  reared  a  suitable  monument  to  perpetuate 
the  name  and  fame  of  the  President  of  the  Confederacy. 

"3.  That  we  tender  to  Mrs.  Davis  and  her  daughters  our  profound  sympa- 
thies in  this  great  bereavement;  and,  while  we  rejoice  that  she  and  her 
daughters  are  true  to  the  principles  of  her  noble  husband,  who  always 
refused  gratuities,  yet  we  are  glad  of  the  opportunity  of  contributing  to  a 
scheme  which  shall  relieve  the  estate  and  leave  them  in  comfort,  and  we 
urge  prompt  action  on  the  part  of  comrades  everywhere. 

"In  offering  the  resolutions.  General  Lee  spoke  as  follows: 
"  Comrade  President  : 

"I  do  not  deem  it  necessary  to  make  any  extended  rsmarks  in  intro- 
ducing these  resolutions.  The  spontaneous  uprising  of  the  people  in  every 
city,  toAvn,  and  hamlet  in  our  Southland  to-day,  to  do  honor  to  the  memory  of 
our  cherished  and  beloved  ex-President,  speaks  louder  than  anything  I  can 
say.  The  grand  pageent  we  have  witnessed  in  this  city,  where  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  our  people,  representing  every  State  in  the  South,  demon- 
strating such  genuine  sorrow,  love,  and  affection,  shows  beyond  doubt  the 
fact,  that  Jefferson  Davis  was  the  true  exponent  of  Southern  feeling  and 
thought. 

"  On  this  sad  occasion,  every  true  Confederate  feeis,  that  whatever  of 
so-called  or  imputed  odium  may  have  attached  to  you,  or  me,  or  any  of  us, 
for  participation  in  the  four  years'  war  against  the  Federal  Government ;  that 
our  beloved  chieftain  bore  it  all  for  us.  Every  shaft  fell  on  his  devoted  and 
defenseless  head,  and  nobly  did  he  suffer  for  us  all. 

"I  echo,  comrade  President,  your  statement,  that  w.e  all  owe  true  and 
loyal  allegiance  to  the  flag  of  our  common  country,  and  if  need  be,  we  would 
fight  under  its  folds  as  bravely,  as  for  four  years,  we  fought  under  the  flag  of 
the  Confederacy.  Yet  on  this  memorable  occasion,  filled  with  such  supreme 
sadness,  there  is  a  feeling  of  satisfaction  in  my  heart,  and  I  know  it  finds  a 
response  in  the  heart  of  every  brave  Confederate,  that  we  have  been  able  to 
show  to  the  world  to-daj',  here  and  everywhere  in  the  South,  that  while  as 
true  and  good  citizens,  we  have  fully  accepted  the  results  of  the  war,  we 
have  never,  for  one  moment,  laid  down  our  self-respect  or  genuine  Southern 
manhood  ;  that  now  is  the  appropriate  time  for  ex-Confederate  soldiers,  to 
place  on  record  their  estimate  of  our  grand  leader,  and  to  take  the  neces- 
sary steps  to  care  for  those  he  loved,  who  now  are  doubly  dear  to  us  ;  also 
to  see  that  a  suitable  monument  be  placed  over  the  final  resting  place  of  the 
President  of  the  Confederate  States. 


m  tSE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

"1  recommend  the  passage  of  these  resolutions." 

Gen.  Lee — of  whom,  by  the  \:aY,  Mr.  Davis -^vas  accustomed  to  say,  "Lee 
was  one  of  the  best  solaicr.3 1  ever  knew ;  I  tried  liim  in  artillery,  in  cavalry, 
and  in  infantry,  and  I  found  him  equally  good  in  each  of  these  arms  of  the 
service" — was  greeted  with  loud  applause,  and  was  frequently  applauded 
during  his  speech." 

GEN.    W.    L.    CABELL,    OF    TEXAS. 

Major-General  W.  L.  Cabell,  of  Dallas,  Texas— "Old  Tige,"  as  he  was 
affectionately  called  in  the  army — was  the  next  speaker,  and  was  warmly 
received  and  generously  applauded.    He  said : 

"Mr.  President,  My  Old  Comrades,  and  Friends: 

"When  I  came  here  to  meet  my  old  Confederate  friends  I  did  not 
know  what  we  met  for,  unless  it  was  to  meet  each  other  and  to  hold  a  regu- 
lar Confederate  love-feast— a  reunion  of  old  and  tried  veterans  of  the  Lost 
Cause,  who  came  here  with  bowed  heads  to  pay  the  last  sad  tribute  of 
respect,  love,  and  affection  to  their  grand  old  chief,  Jefferson  Davis.  But 
after  hearing  the  able  and  soldierly  speech  of  General  John  B.  Gordon,  the 
commander  of  the  Confederate  Veterans,  and  the  resolutions  presented  by 
my  old  friend  and  comrade,  Gen.  S.  D.  Lee,  I  know  that  this  meeting  of 
brave  old  Confederates  was  called  for  the  purpose  of  devising  '  ways  and 
means'  of  looking  after  the  welfare  of  the  wife  and  children  of  our  grand 
old  chieftain  whose  body  we  laid  in  the  tomb  to-day.  Let  me  say  to  you, 
Mr.  President,  and  to  you,  old  Confederate  soldiers,  from  every  Southern 
State,  that  Texas  will  respond  nobly  and  will  do  her  part  in  doing  honor  to 
this  glorious  soldier — this  glorious  old  statesman  and  the  grandest  man  on 
the  American  continent.  I  am  one  of  a  committee  of  Confederate  veterans 
from  Texas  who  came  with  heads  bowed  down  and  with  hearts  full  of  sor- 
row to  be  present  and  to  assistat  the  burial  of  the  grandest  man  ever  known 
in  this  country  ;  to  place,  as  a  tribute  of  love  and  affection  from  the  ladies  of 
Dallas,  a  magnificent  floral  offering  on  his  cotfin — a  beautiful  '  flower  ship ' 
named  the  Lost  Cause,  made  of  Texa.s  flowers  by  Texas  women,  the  wives  and 
daughters  of  Confederate  soldiers.  The  Confederate  flag  was  flying  from 
every  mast ;  the  sails  all  wet,  not  from  the  spray  of  the  stormy  waves  of  the 
angry  sea,  but  wet  with  tears  of  sorrow,  love,  and  affection,  shed  by  the 
broken-hearted  wives  and  daughters  of  the  great  State  of  Texas.  I  am  here 
also  the  representative  of  'Camp  Sterling  Price '  of  ex-Confederate  Veterans 
in  the  city  of  Dallas;  also  the  'Association  of  ex-Confederate  Arkansas 
Veterans '  living  in  Texas ;  also  to  represent  the  city  and  county  of  Dallas 
and  the  great  West  and  Northwest  Texas— to  express  their  great  sorrow  and 
to  say  that  when  the  proper  time  comes  all  would  do  their  duty.  Horace 
c:cclaimed  before  dying,  'Exegi  monumentiim  xri  pcrrnnius' — 'I  have  reared 


TRIBUTES  OF  CONFEDERATES.  61F> 

a  Tiionument  more  lasting  than  brass  ' — that  neither  the  cold  North  Windsor 
storms  can  ever  efface.  Yes,  my  old  comrades,  our  grand  old  chief  could 
have  exclaimed  in  his  dying  moments,  '  I  have  erected  a  monument  in  the 
hearts  and  alTcctions  of  the  Southern  people  more  lasting  than  either  brass 
or  stone ;  tliat  neither  the  cold  and  chilly  winds  of  oppression  nor  the 
storms  cf  passion,  prejudice,  or  hate  can  ever  efface.'  Yes,  his  memory  is 
enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  a  brave  and  a  loving  people.  His  heroism  and 
the  heroic  deeds  of  the  old  Confederate  soldier— the  ' unpaid  soldiery  of 
immortal  principle'  whom  we  loved  so  well — will  live  forever.  Poets  and 
orators  will  never  suffer  this  glorious  theme  to  die  as  long  as  the  fair  women 
and  brave  men  in  our  Southland  loves  and  appreciates  valor.  Aye,  the 
name  of  Jefferson  Davis,  and  the  fact  that  he  was  the  President,  and  the  only 
President,  of  the  Southern  Confederacy  will  be  taught  to  the  children  in  our 
Southland  homes, and  his  name  and  fame  will  go  'sounding  down  the  halls 
of  time'  thousands  of  years  after  his  maligners  and  traducers  have  been 
forgotten,  and  until  the  '  Great  Arch  Angel/  with  his  golden  trumpet,  shall 
sound  the  last  revielle. 

"  I  therefore,  Mr.  President,  heartily  endorse  these  resolutions,  and,  in 
behalf  of  the  committees  present  from  every  part  of  the  State  of  Texas,  I 
will  pledge  the  State  of  Texas  to  do  her  part.  For  myself,  I  will  state  that 
I  am  willing  to  contribute  every  dollar  I  can  spare,  and  will,  if  necessary, 
give  up  my  time  to  make  the  contemplated  monument  a  great  success. 
Texas  will  do  her  duty.    'There  is  life  in  the  old  land  yet.' 

"I  thank  you,  my  old  comrades,  for  your  kind  attention." 

GOVERNOR    LOWRY,    OF    MISSISSIPPI. 

The  "Soldier-Governor"  of  Missia3ippi  was  next  called  out,  was  cordially 
greeted,  and  spoke  as  follows: 

"I  was  not  aware  until  an  hour  ago  that  thore  would  be  a  meeting  here 
this  evening,  but  when  informed  that,  Confederate  veterans  were  to  assem- 
ble, I  felt  that  my  place  was  with  them. 

"And  if  there  had  been  no  other  reason,  when  it  was  stated  that  Georgia's 
distinguished  soldier-statesman  would  address  the  assembled  sorrowing 
veterans  who  came  to  pay  the  last  sad  rites  to  their  beloved  leader,  I  well 
knew  that  every  comrade  with  notice  would  answer  roll-call  at  this  hall. 

"As  Mississippi  is  the  daughter  of  the  progressive  State  over  which  he 
presides  as  chief  magistrate,  and  as  an  humble  representative  of  the  latter, 
the  home  of  our  great  chief,  for  the  eloquent  words  he  has  spoken,  I  would 
take  Georgia's  distinguished  governor  by  the  hand  and  say, '  God  bless  you, 
General  Gordon.' 

"  The  great  Mississippian  has  fallen.  To-day  demonstrates  the  fact  that 
no  man  has  lived  before  him  and  none  will  live  after  him  who  will  receive 
the  same  deserved  tributes  that  he  has  received  this  day,  the  11th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1889. 


576  THE  DAVIS  3fEM0tiIAL  VOLUME. 

"  Xot  a  town,  village  or  hamlet  in  all  the  Southern  States  that  does  not 
to-day  mourn  our  great  leader. 

"Throughout  a  long  and  eventful  life,  Mississippi  was  tlie  home  of  Jeffer- 
son Davis. 

"  When  he  entered  political  life  his  commanding  ability  placed  him  at 
once  in  the  front  rank,  and  he  became  a  trusted  leader. 

"  When  war  was  declared  with  Mexico,  and  Mississippians  repaired  to  the 
field  of  strife,  they  went  under  command  of  Col.  Jefferson  Davis ;  and  with- 
out detracting  from  any  soldier  who  won  fame  in  that  conflict,  history  attests 
that  the  deeds  of  the  gallant  colonel  of  the  First  Mississippi  Kegiment 
marked  him  as  a  brilliant  soldier  and  an  accomplished  commander.  I  said 
a  moment  ago  that  a  higher  tribute  was  paid  our  beloved  chieftain  to-day 
than  will  ever  be  paid  another,  because,  comrades,  there  never  was  but  one 
Confederate  President,  and  he  was  that  one. 

"  I  can  endorse  all  that  was  said  by  our  distinguished  chairman  and  freely 
concur  in  the  declaration  that  if  President  Davis  could  speak  this  moment, 
he  would  say  to  everj^  Confederate  soldier  in  the  land, '  Be  true  to  yourself, 
true  to  your  memories  and  let  impartial  history  transmit  to  future  genera- 
tions that  you  made  such  a  contest  as  was  never  before  made  in  the  world's 
history. 

"  He  spoke  for  the  civilization  and  manhood  of  Mississippi  in  the  grandest 
body  under  the  sun,  the  Senate  of  the  United  States. 

"  He  was  the  representative  of  Democrats  and  Whigs  alike,  for  both  polit- 
ical parties  united  in  honoring  the  great  man  whom  you  honor  to-day. 
When  the  people  of  the  South  determined  that  justice  and  honor  demanded 
on  their  part  the  establishment  of  a  separate  nationality,  and  every  effort 
was  to  be  put  forth  to  that  end,  when  assembled  to  inaugurate  a  govern- 
ment without  means  or  even  time  to  do  what  would  usually  be  necessary  to 
accomplish  so  great  a  purpose  it  was  well-known  to  Mr.  Davis's  friends  that 
he  did  not  desire  the  presidency  of  the  Confederacy  but  a  position  in  the 
field. 

"  A  great  soldier  educated  as  a  soldier,  his  friends  were  confident  that  he 
would  add  to  that  national  reputation  won  upon  the  battle-fields  of  a  foreign 
country. 

"  When  assembled  in  the  city  of  Montgomery^  and  the  time  arrived  for 
selecting  a  president,  one  who  should  be  the  official  head  and  bear  the  banner 
of  the  Confederate  States,  all  eyes  were  turned  on  the  resolute  Mississippian, 
and  with  a  united  voice  they  said,  '  Jefferson  Davis  shall  be  our  leader.' 

"When  the  Confederate  flag  went  down  his  conduct  and  bearing  chal- 
lenged the  admiration  of  the  civilized  world. 

"  I  was  commissioned,  together  with  Colonel  Giles  M.  Hilly er,  by  the  gov- 
ernor of  my  State,  Governor  Benjamin  G.  Humphreys,  to  visit  President 
Johnson,  looking  to  the  release  of  President  Davis.    After  meeting  Mr. 


TRIBUTES  OF  CONFEDERATES.  677 

Charles  O'Connor,  of  New  York,  and  William  B.  Reed,  of  Philadelphia,  who 
were  counsel  for  ]\Ir.  Davis,  we  visited  Fortress  Monroe  where  I  spent  an 
entire  day  with  him  in  his  prison  quarters.  Although  eraanciated  and  broken 
in  health  he  was  the  same  grand  man.  His  hair  whitened  by  suffering,  as  I  • 
believe,  yet  proud  and  erect,  he  looked  the  embodiment  of  the  feelings  of 
the  Southern  people,  and  he  would  have  died  by  inches  rather  than  have 
asked  anything  at  the  hands  of  his  persecutors. 

"  I  must  not,  comrades,  trespass  further  upon  your  time,  for  there  are  many 
veterans  present  whom  we  desire  to  hear,  but  I  want  to  add,  when  I  left  the 
Capitol  of  Mississippi  yesterday  evening,  Judge  Wiley  P.  Harris,  a  great 
lawyer,  one  who  stands  among  the  great  American  lawyers  of  this  age,  and 
General  T.  J.  Wharton,  a  distinguished  jurist,  had  discussed  at  length  in  a 
public  meeting  the  question  now  being  considered  by  this  large  body  of 
veterans. 

"  Comrades  it  is  not  possible  that  there  is  a  Confederate  soldier  in  all  this 
land,  who  followed  the  stars  and  bars,  who  has  not  a  lodgment  in  his  bosom 
that  everything  necessary  should  be  done  for  the  family  of  our  beloved  chief. 

"  The  citizens  of  Jackson,  without  a  dissenting  voice,  have  already  passed 
resolutions  recommending  that  the  Legislature,  soon  to  assemble,  appropri- 
ate one  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  purposes  and  kindred  objects  now 
being  considered  by  the  veterans  here  present. 

"  Comrades,  I  speak  this  evening  as  an  humble  representative  of  Missis- 
sippi, the  home  of  President  Davis,  the  people  of  his  State  loved  bun  as  they 
never  loved  man  before,  and  in  the  presence  of  those  who  followed  him, 
and  the  cause  of  which  he  was  the  official  head,  and  about  which  no  apolo- 
gies will  or  can  be  made,  they  will  do  all  that  can  be  asked  at  their  hands. 

"  I  congratulate  you,  my  brethren,  that  the  opportunity  was  afforded  the 
thousands  of  Confederate  veterans  now  in  the  city,  to  look  for  the  last  time 
upon  the  face  of  our  beloved  chief,  whose  name  will  form  a  bright  page  on 
impartial  history  as  long  as  the  English  language  is  spoken." 

GOVERNOR  FOWLE,  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA, 

Being  pleasantly  called  out  by  Governor  Gordon  as  representing  the  "  Tar 
Heels,"  of  whom  he  said  "  thar  was  a  fight  and  they  were  thar  when  it 
occurred."    Governor   Fowle  was   cordially  greeted,  and  enthusiastically 
applauded  and  cheered  as  he  spoke  as  follows : 
"  Covirade  President : 

"  Your  expression  of  commendation  are  most  flattering,  but  you  have 
omitted  the  one  thing  in  my  history,  which  brings  me  the  nearest  to  this 
people,  as  the  representative  of  our  dear  old  State,  and  that  is,  that  I  was 
born  on  the  banks  of  the  old  Tar  river. 

"  And  I  but  voice  the  sentiment  of  our  whole  people,  when  I  say  of  Jef- 
ferson Davis  almost  in  the  words  of  one  of  her  able  men,  that  he  lived 

87 


578  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

belonging  to  nMiation  and  died,  reigning  in  the  hearts  of  twenty  millions  of 
the  people  of  oiy  own  beloved  Southland. 

"  Robert  E.  Lee  and  Stonewall  Jackson  loved  him,  and  this  could  never 
have  been,  had  he  not  been  pure,  brave,  sincere  and  faithful. 

"  In  the  skies  of  the  Southern  hemisphere,  there  is  a  constellation  which 
sends  its  dazzling  beams  throughout  the  silent  night,  across  an  admiring 
continent;  it  is  known  as  the  Southern  Cross,  but  now  in  this  Northern 
hemisphere,  in  our  own  Southern  section,  we  have  produced  a  constella- 
tion of  heroes  whose  light  irradiates  the  whole  world,  and  makes  men  of 
all  lands  better  and  purer  when  they  contemplate  the  virtues  and  heroism 
of  our  grand  trio,  Stonewall  Jackson,  Robert  E.  Lee  and  Jefferson  Davis. 

"  Even  in  this  glorious  land  of  ours,  which  has  produced  so  many  heroes 
and  statesmen,  North  Carolina  believes  that  there  was  no  other  w^ho  could 
have  so  successfully  guided  the  Confederacy  as  our  great  dead  leader. 

"  Lee  and  Jackson  are  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  their  admiring  country- 
men, but  did  you  ever  consider  how  their  glory  and  renown  were  achieved  ? 
Did  you  ever  reflect  that  they  might  have  exercised  all  their  powers  and 
yet  fame  would  have  been  to  them  a  fleeing  shadow,  but  for  an  effective 
factor,  which  realized  in  action  their  matured  plans,  and  that  factor  was  the 
bravery,  heroism,  and  patriotism  of  the  private  soldier  of  the  Confederacy. 
Take  from  our  history  his  devotion  and  gallantry  and  few  indeed  would 
have  been  the  laurels  entwining  ithe  memories  of  any  of  our  departed 
leaders.  They  gloried  in  the  fame  and  renown  of  their  immortal  chief- 
tains and  with  forgotten  graves  were  themselves  content.  Animated  alone 
by  intense  affection  for  their  native  soil  and  jealous  alone  of  her  good  name 
and  fame,  the  private  soldier  of  the  Confederacy  was  the  sternest,  justest 
critic  ever  known. 

"Around  your  camp-fires,  my  countrymen,  you  have  heard  the  criticisms 
from  private  lips  upon  well-known  leaders.  Why  they  approved  or  con- 
demned they  could  not  always  tell,  but  their  verdict  was  somehow  rarely 
wrong.  Now,  no  man  ever  heard  anything  but  approbation  for  Jefferson 
Davis  from  the  private  soldier. 

"Upon  his  emaciated  limbs  were  |forcibly  placed  the  irons  for  what  you 
and  I  had  done,  as  well  as  he,  but  as  the  grating  click  was  heard,  throughout 
this  Southland  there  went  forth  from  the  hearts  of  our  people  the  tenderest, 
sweetest  love  for  their  martyr  hero.  Since  then,  with  dignity  and  grace, 
sufiering  for  a  whole  people,  he  has  borne  our  burden,  and  now  he  has  gone, 
leaving  behind  him  a  record  for  purity  and  sincerity  as  stainless  as  ever 
bequeathed  by  mortal  man. 

"  Of  him  we  can  truly  say  that, '  having  thus  bestowed  his  life  upon  his 
country,  he  has  achieved  for  himself  a  fame  which  will  never  decay,  a  sepul- 
chre which  will  always  be  most  illustrious,  not  that  in  which  his  bones  will 
moulder,  but  that  in  which  his  fame  is  preserved,  to  be  on  every  occasion 
in  "Which  honor  is  the  employ  of  tongue  or  pen  eternally  remembered.' 


TRIBUTES  OF  CONFEDERATES.  579 

"And  now  you  ask  what  North  Carolina  will  do  to  show  her  love  and  sym- 
pathy for  the  widow  and  child  of  our  hero.  1  am  not  authorized  to  say  : 
but  this  I  know,  that,  though  North  Carolina  may  be  slow,  she  always  does 
her  duty.' 

"Upon  Governor  Fowle's  taking  his  seat,  there  was  such  long  continued 
applause  and  cries  for  him  to  continue  that  Governor  Gordon  presented  him 
again  to  the  audience,  whereupon,  after  acknowledging  the  comi^liment  of 
ihe  recall.  Governor  Fowle  resumed: 

"  Let  me  say  one  word  in  regard  to  that  flag  which  Mr.  Secretary  Proctor 
refused  to  raise  at  half-mast  over  his  oftice  when  the  greatest  ex-Secretary 
of  Wat  which  the  United  States  ever  had  died.  Did  he  not  know,  that 
when  the  United  States  was  engaged  in  war  with  Mexico,  and  Zachary  Tay- 
lor sat  on  his  old  white  horse  upon  the  battle-field  of  Buena  Vista,  and  the 
battle  seemed  almost  lost,  when  four  thousand  Mexicans  were  charging  the 
battery  with  which  Capt.  Bragg  were  giving  them  a  little  more  grape,  and 
the  Mississippi  regiment  was  called  upon  to  make  the  charge  which  has 
ever  since  been  so  famous,  that  the  very  flag  which  he  refused  to  hoist  at 
half-mast  over  the  ofiice  of  the  Secretary  of  War  flashed  like  a  meteor 
across  that  field,  and,  in  the  blood  of  a  defeated  foe,  was  crowned  with  new 
glory  by  the  hands  of  Jefferson  Davis?  Although  at  one  time  I  difi"ered 
from  him,  I  found  him  as  calm  in  defeat  as  George  Washington  was  in  vic- 
tory; and  I  believe  his  name  and  fame  will  grow  brighter  with  the  coming 
years,  and  the  time  will  come  when  our  entire  nation  will  render  him  honor. 

"And  to-night,  my  countrymen,  I  tell  you  that  I  love  that  flag,  and  I 
believe  that  Jefferson  Davis  had  a  fond  feeling  for  it  all  the  days  of  his  life- 
He  had  reflected  honor  upon  it.  He  loved  it.  Mr.  Davis  loved  the  Union, 
and  was  slow  to  go  into  the  late  war  between  the  States,  but  when  he  went* 
like  North  Carolina,  he  went  to  stay;  and  I  thank  him  for  his  firmness,  for 
be  continued  the  war  until  all  of  us,  who  were  his  followers,  saw  and  appre- 
ciated that  the  Union  of  the  States  was  not  to  be  dissolved. 

"  Knowing  that  his  noble  heart  was  filled  to  overflowing  with  love  for  this 
great  country  of  ours,  I  believe  that  when  he  saw  that  the  Confederacy 
could  not  be  established,  that  he  desired  this  country  to  become  greater  and 
more  prosperous  than  it  had  ever  been  before.  Here  at  his  grave  let  us  show 
that  the  hearts  of  the  Southern  people  are  in  unison  with  the  government 
of  our  fathers. 

"And  when  the  monument  is  raised  to  our  nation's  hero,  Abraham  Lin- 
Qoln,  piercing  almost  the  very  clouds,  let  us  erect  a  monument  equally  as 
high,  and  upon  its  top  let  us  emblason  in  letters  of  gold  the  name  of  our 
hero,  Jefferson  Davis." 

GOVERNOR    F.    T.    NICHOLLS. 

The  gallant  "Soldier-Governor"  of  Louisiana,  Gen.  Nichols,  who  proved 
hia  devotion  to  the  cause  by  loosing  both  a  leg  and  an  arm  and  beinj; 


580  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

wounded  several  other  times  and  still  continuing  in  the  service,  and  whom 
his  people  have  honored  by  twice  electing  him  governor,  was  loudly  called 
for  and  enthusiastically  received,  but  excused  himself  in  a  few  remarks,  in 
which  he  said  that  he  was  at  home  and  wished  to  hear  from  the  visitors^ 
but  expressed  his  hearty  approval  of  the  resolutions,  and  pledged  Louisiana 
in  doing  her  part  towards  carrying  them  into  practical  effect. 

GOVEENOR    S.    B.    BUCKisEE,    OF    KENTUCKY. 

Gen.  Buckner,  being  called  out,  was  loudly  applauded,  and  made  a  brief 
speech,  in  which  he  said  : 

"There  is  no  necessity  of  asking  a  citizen  of  a  State  that  claims  the  honor 
of  giving  birth  to  Jefferson  Davis  to  contribute  to  a  fund  for  Mrs.  Davis- 
Kentucky  did  not  secede  from  the  Union,  but  she  contributed  many  men  to 
the  cause,  which  we  believed  then  to  be  just  and  which  we  know  now  to  be 
right. 

"  The  Confederates  to-night  who  revere  the  cause  for  which  they  fought 
have  a  duty  to  perform,  and  I  feel  confident  in  pledging  ourselves  and  say- 
ing that  we  will  do  our  part.  I  therefore  advocate  the  adoption  of  the  reso- 
lution," 

GOVEENOR    r.    p.    FLEMING,    OF    FLORIDA. 

Governor  Gordon  introduced  Governor  Fleming  as  another  "Soldier-Gov- 
ernor," and  being  received  with  loud  applause,  he  spoke  as  follows : 
"  Mr.  President  and  brother  soldiers  : 

"  I  was  neither  a  colonel  nor  a  general  during  the  late  war,  but  carried 
my  musket  as  a  private  soldier  on  the  fields  of  Virginia. 

"The  distinguished  soldier  who  presides  over  this  meeting,  and  whom 
you  have  so  wisely  chosen  to  be  the  commander  of  the  United  Confederate 
Veteran  Association,  impressed  upon  us  in  his  address  to-night  the  virtues 
of  true  manhood  as  illustrated  by  the  character  of  our  beloved  chief  whom 
we  have  just  laid  to  rest ;  and  this  carries  me  back  to  an  occasion  at  an  early 
period  of  the  war,  when  in  the  ranks  of  the  Second  Florida  at  Yorktown,  I 
first  saw  General  Gordon,  who  was  then  colonel  of  the  Sixth  Alabama,  at  a 
time  when  under  peculiar  circumstances  his  ow-n  manhood  was  conspicu- 
ously displayed,  as  throughout  the  war  were  his  great  abilities  as  a  soldier. 

"  No  day  of  my  life  passes  without  the  realization  that  I  have  abundant 
cause  for  thankfulness  to  Almighty  God  for  Lis  many  mercies  and  blessings; 
but,  my  comrades,  I  feel  that  I  have  cause  for  thankfulness  to-day  above  all 
others  that  I  was  permitted  to  participate  in  that  grand  demonstration  of 
the  sorrow  and  aflfection  of  an  afflicted  people  at  the  bier  of  our  lamented 
chief,  and  that  it  was  my  privilege  to  follow  his  remains  to  the  tomb. 

"  The  name  of  Jefferson  Davis  will  occupy  a  place  among  the  grandest 
figures  of  history.  A  distinguished  soldier,  an  eminent  statesman,  a  pro- 
found scholar,  a  true  patriot,  and  a  Christian  gentleman,  his  life  was  as 


TRIBUTES  OF  CONFEDERATES.  Wl 

pure  as  the  whitest  flower  which  loving  hands  have  placed  upon  his  bier. 
He  served  his  country  with  fidelity  and  zeal  and  suffered  for  his  people 
without  complaint.  We  should  never  cease  to  thank  God  that  his  life  was 
spared  to  contribute  to  history  that  masterly  production  of  his  great  mind> 
the  "Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Confederate  Government,"  which  gives  to  the 
world  such  a  faithful,  logical  and  able  exposition  of  the  Southern  cause.  It 
should  be  read  not  only  by  every  Southern  man  and  woman,  but  by  every 
one  who  seeks  after  historic  ti'uth,  and  would  learn  the  great  underlying 
principles  which  animated  the  people  of  the  South  in  their  struggle  to  main- 
tain the  right  of  self-government. 

"  Florida  has  never  failed  to  respond  to  the  calls  of  duty,  and  Florida's 
blood  was  shed  on  every  battle-field  in  which  the  Army  of  Northern  Vir- 
ginia or  the  Army  of  Tennessee  was  engaged.  She  will  not  be  behind  her 
Southern  sisters  now  that  we  may  hope  to  have  the  privilege,  in  some 
manner,  of  extending  aid  to  the  family  of  him  who  sufl'ered  so  much 
because  of  the  burdens  we  placed  upon  him.  I  can  promise  for  my  State 
that  she  will  do  her  full  duty." 

GOVERNOR  F.  P.  EAGLE,  OF  ARKANSAS, 

Being  introduced  as  still  another  "Soldier-Governor,"  and  being  warmly 
received,  was  loudly  applauded  as  he  spoke  as  follows  : 
"  Mr.  President  and  ex- Confederate  Soldiers: 

"  This  is  a  sad  hour,  and  yet  Ave  have  reasons  for  rejoicing.  Sad 
because  we  are  just  from  the  funeral  of  one  of  the  purest  and  greatest  men 
this  country  has  ever  produced.  One  who  lead  the  fortunes  of  the  South- 
ern Confederacy  from  its  rise  to  its  fall.  ^Ye  would  have  hearts  of  steel  if 
after  a  four  years'  struggle  together  in  one  common  cause  with  that  great 
man  at  our  head,  who  entered  into  the  deepest  sympathy  with  us  in  all  of 
our  sufferings  and  privations  on  the  battle-fieid  and  around  the  camp  fires, 
could  we  witnesss  the  solemn  ceremonies  of  to-day  and  not  feel  sad. 

"  In  the  midst  of  our  mourning  we  are  rejoiced  to  know  that  while  the 
eyes  of  the  world  have  been  turned  in  on  him  with  magnified  force,  during 
a  long  active  life  as  a  citizen,  a  soldier,  and  a  statesman,  nowhere  in  all  of 
his  eventful  career  can  there  be  found  one  act  in  which  there  was  the  least 
semblance  of  dishonesty  or  the  want  of  fidelity.  Profound  ability,  noted 
courage  and  ]")urity  of  character  marked  his  every  act,  from  his  youth  to  the 
day  of  his  death.  He  has  been  scrutinized  and  criticised  as  no  other  man 
has  ever  been  in  this  country,  and  he  comes  out  of  the  crucible  as  true  as 
gold. 

"  The  Southern  people  did  not  favor  secession  because  they  wanted  to  ais- 
solve  the  union,  but  seeing  the  determined  purpose  on  the  part  of  the  North 
to  disregard  the  principles  upon  which  the  union  of  the  States  rested,  as  we 
understood  them,  the  South  resorted  to  the  extremity  of  exercising  her 
State  sovereignty  by  withdrawing  from  the  Union.    After  four  j'ears  of  the 


582  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLVME. 

bloodiest  conflict  known  in  modern  times  the  battle  went  against  us.  The 
right  of  secession  was  settled  when  the  star  of  the  Southern  Confederacy 
which  had  shone  with  so  much  brilliancy  for  a  time  went  down.  The 
Southern  States  returned  to  their  places  in  the  Union.  To-day  the  people  of 
the  South  are  as  loyal  to  the  United  States  government  as  are  the  people  of 
the  Korth.    It  is  our  country.    It  is  our  government. 

"  I  have  never  believed  that  it  was  right  for  Mr.  Davis  to  be  made  to  suf- 
fer for  what  the  whole  people  of  the  South  did.  He  was  only  one  of  us ;  we 
took  the  step  with  our  eyes  open.  Secession  was  the  act  of  the  people.  It 
was  the  spotless  character,  the  undaunted  courage,  and  the  unquestioned 
statesmanship  of  Mr.  Davis  that  placed  him  at  the  head  of  the  Confederate 
government,  and  not  because  he  specially  desired  the  place. 

"If  he  was  guilty  of  treason  we  were  all  guilty.  "We  were  all  in  the  same 
boat. 

"  I  feel  safe  in  saying  that  Arkansas  will  come  up  to  the  full  measure  of 
her  duty  to  Mrs.  Davis  and  her  daughter,  on  whatever  plan  may  be  adopted, 
and  will  take  pleasure  in  doing  so. 

"We  will  also  assist  in  furnishing  means  with  which  to  erect  a  monument 
to  the  memory  of  our  great  leader,  which  should  be  equal  to  anything  of  the 
kind  in  this  or  any  other  country. 

"  I  am  indeed  glad  to  meet  so  many  Confederate  veterans  as  are  assembled 
in  this  hall  to-night,  by  whose  side  I  stood  on  many  battle-fields.  Comrades, 
soon  we  too  will  be  gathered  to  our  Fathers.    Let  us  be  ready." 

EX-GOVERNOR  F.  R.  LUBBOCK,  OP  TEXAS. 

Col.  Lubbock,  being  called  out  and  introduced  as  first  "War  Governor  of 
Texas"  and  then  aid  to  President  Davis,  was  cordially  received  and  heartily 
applauded  as  he  spoke  as  follows : 

"  Honorable  Commander  : 

"  What  can  I  add  to  the  beautiful  and  patriotic  speeches  that  have 
been  made  to-night  by  the  distinguished  veterans  assembled  to  do  honor  to 
the  memory  of  our  illustrious  chieftain  and  to  provide  for  his  devoted  wife 
and  daughter  ? 

"I  must  venture,  however,  to  utter  a  few  words  to  give  relief  to  my  aching 
heart.  Standing  in  the  rotunda  of  the  grand  Capitol  at  Austin,  Texas,  when 
the  news  was  announced  that  Jefierson  Davis  had  passed  over  the  river, 
from  the  fullness  of  my  heart  I  said,  '  Jefi'erson  Davis  dead !  then  the  light 
of  the  greatest  and  best  man  of  the  century  has  been  extinguished ;  Jefier- 
son Davis,  the  embodiment  of  patriotism,  the  true  soldier,  the  intelligent 
statesman,  the  ripe  scholar,  the  refined  gentleman,  and,  above  all,  the  earn- 
est follower  of  Christ.'  Sir,  it  was  my  good  fortune  to  be  most  intimately 
connected  with  the  great  and  noble  man.  Just  after  I  left  the  office  of  gov- 
ernor, for  the  Confederate  army,  Jefferson  Davis,  without  the  slightest 
knowledge  on  my  part  of  his  intention  to  do  so,  honored  me  by  nomiiiatiiig 


TRIBUTES  OP  COKFEDERATES.  583 

me  as  colonel  of  cavalry  and  aid-de-camp  to  himself.  I  reported  to  him  as 
soon  as  horse  and  rail  could  take  me  to  Richmond,  and  I  served  with  him 
in  his  military  family  to  the  bitter  end. 

"  I  had  previously  known  ]\Ir.  Davis,  and  to  know  him  was  to  admire  the 
many  qualities  that  marked  him  a.i  a  great  man. 

"  From  close  contact  I  soon  learned  to  love  him  for  his  noble  manhood — 
his  devotion  to  his  country,  his  earnestness  in  the  discharge  of  the  great 
trusts  committed  to  his  hands  by  a  devoted  and  admiring  people,  and  for 
his  tender  care  of  those  connected  with  him  ;  his  suavity  to  his  inferiors  in 
nink,  his  fair  dealings  in  all  things  with  all  men.  I  loved  him  for  his  great 
heart.  I  took  pleasure  in  being  near  him  and  listening  to  his  conversation, 
so  full  of  intelligence,  so  chaste,  so  elegant,  and  there  was  soul  in  it  all. 

"My  comrades,  he  was  a  grand  man;  the  greatest,  all  in  all,  this  country 
has  produced. 

"  They  say  he  is  dead,  comrades ;  he  is  beyond  our  sight,  but  he  is  not 
dead ;  he  lives  in  the  spirit  land.  He  lives  with  Lee  and  Stonewall  Jackson, 
and  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  and  others  of  our  great  and  jDure  men  ;  as  the 
distinguished  Bishop  said  to-day,  'When  the  roll  call  is  made  in  heaven 
Jefferson  Davis  answers,  Here.'  Yes,  we  all  know  such  as  he  make  up  the 
kingdom  of  heaven. 

"  He  is  not  dead ;  he  lives  a  higher  life  above.  He  is  not  dead,  though  we 
have  laid  him  in  the  tomb,  for  he  lives  in  our  hearts,  and  he  will  ever  live 
in  the  hearts  of  our  children. 

"Commander,  comrades,  I  approve  and  endorse  the  resolutions  oflFeredby 
our  distinguished  comrade.  Gen.  Stephen  D.  Lee,  and  I  will  do  all  in  my 
power  to  aid  in  carrying  them  into  effect." 

HON.    J.    TAYLOR   ELLYSON,    MAYOR    OP    RICHMOND,   VA. 

Dr.  J.  Wm.  Jones  arose  and,  being  loudly  applauded,  said:  "No!  my 
comrades,  I  did  not  rise  to  speak,  but  only  to  say  just  this :  "We  have  heard 
with  deepest  interest  and  pleasure  from  our  '  Soldier-Governors.'  [By  the 
way,  these  Southern  States  seem  to  have  fallen  into  the  good  habit  of  mak- 
ing governors  out  of  old  Confederate  soldiers.] 

•'  There  is  general  regret  that  the  soldier-governor  of  Virginia — our  gal- 
lant Fitz.  Lee — is  not  here  to  speak  for  his  State.  We  know  that,  'though 
absent  in  body,  he  is  present  in  spirit.' 

"  But  we  have,  fortunately,  with  us  the  soldier-mayor  of  the  old  capital 
of  the  Confederacy,  and  I  am  sure  that  we  would  all  ;be  glad  to  hear  from 
Hon.  J.  Taylor  Ellyson,  of  Richmond.' 

Amidst  loud  calls  and  enthusiastic  applause,  Mr.  Ellyson  took  the  stand 
and  spoke  as  follows,  his  speech  being  frequently  jiunctuated  with  applause: 

''Mr.  President  : 

"  I  am  here  as  the  representative  of  Richmond,  about  whose  seven  hills 
e^uster  some  of  the  most  precious  and  hallowed  memories  of  Confederate 


584  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

day3.  I  have  come,  in  the  name  of  my  people,  to  do  honor  to  the  memory 
of  him  who  -n'as  the  chosen  and  illustrious  chief  of  the  Southern  Confeder- 
acy ;  and  as  I  stood  to-day  by  the  bier  of  Jefferson  Davis,  I  felt  that  I  was 
looking  upon  the  mortal  remains  of  a  man  who  had  been  as  loyal  to  the 
principles  of  free  government  as  any  American  that  ever  lived. 

"  Whatever  advanced  age,  accumulated  public  honors,  spotless  integrity, 
and  a  firm  religious  faith  could  do  for  any  man  was  done  for  Jefferson  Davis. 

"What  a  grand  incentive  to  r,  noble  action  is  found  in  such  a  life.  A 
brave  soldier,  a  wise  senator,  a  judicious  cabinet  officer,  a  grand  leader  of  a 
great  people.  What  a  lofty  inspiration  the  study  of  his  life  affords  the 
youth  of  our  land.  And  yet  I  sometimes  fear  we  may  suffer  the  fate  of 
Carthage  in  having  the  history  of  our  struggle  for  independence  written  by 
an  alien  pen.  I  do  not  know  how  better  we  could  honor  the  memory  of 
Jefferson  Davis  than  by  teaching  the  children  of  the  South  a  knowledge  of 
the  righteousness  of  the  cause  for  which  he  contended.  I  have,  for  my 
part,  determined  that  the  youth  of  the  capital  city  of  the  Old  Dominion 
shall  learn  to  revere  the  memories  of  such  heroes  as  Eobert  E.  Lee,  Stone- 
wall Jackson,  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  and  Jefferson  Davis ;  and  so,  when  I 
heard  of  the  death  of  our  revered  President,  I  determined  that  I  would 
honor  his  memory  by  offering  a  gold  medal  to  the  pupil  of  our  High  School 
who  should  write  during  the  present  session  the  best  essay  on  the  life  and 
character  of  Jefferson  Davis.  In  this  way  I  hope  to  cultivate  in  the  hearts 
of  the  children  love  for  the  study  of  Confederate  history  and  to  give  them 
some  knowledge  of  the  men  and  principles  of  that  fateful  period  in  the 
annals  of  the  P  DUthern  people. 

"There  is  no  danger  that  we  who  fought  under  the  stars  and  bars  shall' 
ever  be  forgetful  of  the  memories  of  those  four  stormy  years,  or  prove  false 
to  the  generous  motives  that  then  animated  our  lives ;  but  there  is  danger, 
and  real  danger,  that  our  children  may  be  taught  that  the  cause  for  which 
we  fought  was  treason,  and  we  but  traitors.  From  such  a  fate  may  a  kind 
Providence  spare  us !  Then  let  us  see  that  histories  are  written  which  shall 
contain  the  true  story  of  Southern  valor,  and  which  shall  teach  our  children 
that  the  soldiers  of  the  Southern  Confederacy  were  not  rebels,  but  were 
Americans  who  loved  Constitutional  liberty  as  something  dearer  than  life 
itself. 

"  Let  us  be  certain  that  our  children  knoAv  that  the  war  between  the 
States  was  not  a  contest  for  the  preservation  of  slavery,  as  some  would  have 
them  believe,  but  that  it  was  a  great  struggle  for  the  maintainance  of  Con- 
stitutional rights,  and  that  the  men  who  fought 

"  Were  warriors  tried  and  true, 

AVho  bore  the  flag  of  a  Nation's  trust, 
And  fell  in  a  cause,  tiiough  lost,  still  just, 

And  died  for  me  and  vou.' " 


AFTER  THE  FUNERAL.  585 

In  response  to  calls,  «arnest  speeches  were  made  by  Dr.  J.  "William  Jones, 
pf  Atlanta;  General  Harrison,  of  Montgomery;  and  Colonel  Til.  H.  Cliff,  of 
Tennessee,  and  the  resolutions  were  unanimously  and  enthusiastically 
idopted. 

Eev.  Dr.  T.  R.  Markham,  in  a  few  eloquent  words,  called  attention  to  the 
causes  of  gratitude  to  God  we  had  in  the  circumstances  of  the  death  and 
burial  of  our  great  chief,  and  Governor  Gordon  called  on  him  to  close  the 
meeting  with  prayer,  which  he  did  in  an  earnest  and  appropriate  thanks- 
giving, to  which  every  heart  seemed  to  say  '  Amen  I' 

"We  have  reported  this  meeting  thus  fully  because  of  its  representative 
character.  It  was,  in  truth,  the  tribute  of  all  of  the  States  to  our  dead — yet 
living — chief. 

"We  have  given  the  account  of  the  obsequies,  and  of  the  meeting  of  Con- 
federate veterans  in  New  Orleans  very  fully,  not  only  because  of  their  inhe- 
rent interest,  but  because  they  are  really  the  Southland's  tribute  to  our  dead 
President,  since  every  State  was  represented. 

"We  will  only  add  that  the  day  after  the  funeral  the  eight  governors 
called,  as  a  body,  to  pay  their  respects  to  Mrs.  Davis  and  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
Hayes  (Miss  "Winnie  was  in  Paris,  on  a  trip  for  her  health  and  was  not  able, 
of  course,  to  be  with  her  father  during  his  illness,  or  to  attend  the  funeral), 
and  numbers  of  other  friends  called  and  were  received  with  characteristic 
grace  and  dignity  by  these  accomplished  and  noble  women. 

Crowds  also  visited  the  tomb  for  many  succeeding  days,  and  as  long 
as  the  precious  dust  remains  there  it  will  be  a  Mecca  for  Confederate  pil- 
grims. 

It  had  been  our  purpose  to  give  in  full  the  World's  tribute  to  Jiis  memory — 
the  telegrams,  resolutions,  editorials,  speeches,  sermons,  &c.,  grouping  the 
tributes  of  each  State — and  we  have  in  hand  the  fullest  material  for  the 
purpose. 

Indeed  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  tiie  inemorial  meetings  held 
were  so  numerous,  the  tributes  to  his  memory  so  general,  and  the  grief  of 
our  Southland  at  the  loss  of  our  grand  old  chief  so  universal,  that  we 
have  enough  of  this  material  to  make  a  volume  of  1,000  or  1,500  pages,  and 
would  under  any  circumstances  be  compelled  to  omit  a  large  part  of  it. 

But  we  are  especially  annoyed  to  find  that  the  first  pyrt  of  our  book 
(already  printed,  so  that  we  cannot  cut  out  any  part  of  that)  has  so  far  ex- 
ceeded our  proposed  limits  that  we  are  now  compelled  to  omit  many  of 
the  speeches,  resolutions,  editorials,  &c.,  which  we  had  particularly  desired 
to  insert,  and  some  of  which,  at  our  request,  the  authors  had  troubled  them- 
selves to  send  us. 

There  is,  however,  nothing  left  us  but  to  condense  many  things  and  to  leave 
out  altogether  others  which  we  had  purposed  publishing  in  full. 

This  explanation  is  due  alike  to  those  who  have  so  kindly  furnished  us 
the  material,  and  to  ourselves. 


586  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 


VIRGINIA'S    TRIBUTE. 

The  tribute  of  the  old  Commonwealth  was  general,  loving,  tender  and 
full ;  EicHMOJSTD,  the  capital  of  the  State  and  the  old  capital  of  the  Confed- 
eracy, led  the  way  and  all  of  the  towns  and  villages — aye!  all  of  the  homes 
and  all  of  the  people  of  the  old  State  followed  in  paying  appropriate  respect 
and  honor  to  him  who  was  their  defender,  leader,  friend,  in  the  dark  days 
of  war. 

The  Dispatch,  the  Times,  the  State,  the  Religious  Herald,  the  Central  Pres- 
byterian, the  Christian  Advocate,  the  Southern  Churchman  and  other  papers 
published  in  Richmond,  all  had  appropriate  editorial  notices  of  his  death; 
while  the  daily  papers  had  full  biographical  sketches  and  full  reports  of 
everything  pertaining  to  the  life,  sickness,  death,  and  funeral  of  the  great 
Southerner.  But  this  is  true  equally  with  all  of  the  papers  of  the  State 
and,  indeed,  of  the  South  generally. 

The  Governor  of  the  State — General  Fitzhugh  Lee — who  had  been  one  of 
the  most    gallant  and  skilful  soldiers  whom  President  Davis  ever  com- 
missioned, and  who  was  always  his  warm,  personal  friend,  issued  the  fol- 
lowing proclamation : 
"  To  the j^ieople of  Virginia: 

"Jefferson  Davis  is  dead.  The  hearts  of  our  people  are  heavy  with 
sorrow.  Our  grief  is  natural  and  proper.  Our  mourning  unreserved  and 
sincere. 

"  When  certain  States  of  the  American  Union,  some  of  which  had  much 
to  do  with  the  formation  of  the  republic,  declared  that  the  Government  which 
the  States  themselves  had  created  was  destructive  of  their  rights  and 
attempted  '  to  assume  among  the  powers  of  the  earth '  a  separate  and  equal 
station,  they  selected  this  illustrious  statesman  as  their  Chief  IMagistrate. 
In  the  estimation  of  many  of  his  fellow-citizens  in  other  sections  he  was  a 
traitor;  in  the  opinion  of  the  same  people  we,  too,  are  regarded  as  guilty  of 
treason,  and  with  him  should  equally  share  all  responsibilities  attaching  to 
such  action. 

"  When  he  was  our  ruler  we  gave  him  our  dutiful  obedience ;  when  he 
was  in  prison  and  in  irons,  our  profound  compassion ;  when  in  the  retire- 
ment of  private  life,  our  respect  and  reverence.  And  now  that  he  is  'sleep- 
ing his  last  sleep,'  we  would  be  recreant  to  the  elevated  traits  of  human 
nature  if  we  failed  in  a  proper  manner  to  do  honor  to  his  memory. 

"We  are  again  citizens  of  the  United  States.  Once  more  Virginia  is 
equally  interested  with  the  other  States  in  promoting  the  glory  of  a  common 
country ;  but  such  citizenship  does  not  require  us  to  treat  as  unknown  the 
records  of  the  past. 

"  Having  been  informed  officially  by  the  mayor  of  the  city  of  New  Orleans 
that  the  funeral  services  of  this  eminent  citizen  will  take  place  in  that  city 
at  noon  on  Wednesday  next,  the  11th  instant,  and  in  order  that  there  may 


VIRGINIA'S  TRIBUTE.  587 

be  unanimous  action  on  the  part  of  those  of  our  people  who  desire  to  testify 
in  a  befitting  manner  their  respect  for  his  services  and  character,  I  have  the 
honor  to  recommend  that  upon  that  day,  at  the  hour  named,  memorial  ser- 
vices be  held  in  the  churches  throughout  the  Commonwealth. 

"  In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  caused  the  great 
seal  of  the  State  of  Virginia  to  be  affixed.  Done  at  the  capitol,  in  Rich- 
mond, this  7th  day  of  December,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  eighty-nine,  and  the  114th  year  of  the  Commonwealth, 

"  FiTZHUGH  Lee, 

"  Governor  of  Virginia. 
"  By  the  Governor : 

"H.W.Flournoy, 

"  Secretarij  of  (he  Commonwealth." 

In  speaking  to  a  reporter,  Governor  Lee  said : 

"  Jeflerson  Davis  was,  in  my  opinion,  in  many  respects,  one  of  the  great- 
est men  this  republic  has  ever  produced.  He  was  able,  bold,  true,  manly, 
conscientious,  clear  in  thought,  admirable  in  expression,  cultured  in  address, 
and  stood  steady  in  his  firm  belief  in  the  construction  and  doctrines  of  this 
government,  though  the  very  '  lightning  scorched  the  ground  beneath  his 
feet.'  The  Southern  people  loved  him  because  he  suff"ered  for  them.  They 
are  prepared  to  protect  and  guard  his  memory  from  the  fierce  future  winds 
of  prejudice  in  saying  to  all  those  who  hated  him,  and  whose  hearts  are 
consumed  at  this  hour  by  sectional  animosities,  '  If  this  be  treason,  make 
the  most  of  it." 

The  soldier-mayor  of  Richmond  issued  the  following  proclamation: 

"Mayor's  Office, 
"Richmond,  Y a., December  9, 1S89. 

"To  the  People  of  Richmond: 

"  The  shadow  of  a  great  sorrow  has  fallen  upon  our  city.  Jefferson 
Davis  is  dead.  The  people  of  Richmond  need  no  exhortation  to  do  honor 
to  his  memory.  His  virtues  and  his  patriotism  have  forever  enshrined 
him  in  their  hearts.  I  would,  however,  recommend  that,  in  furtherance  of 
the  suggestion  contained  in  the  proclamation  of  the  governor,  and  in  com- 
pliance with  the  resolution  of  the  City  Council,  that  all  business  be  sus- 
pended on  next  Wednesday,  the  day  of  the  funeral,  and  that  our  citizens 
repair  to  their  respective  places  of  worship  and  unite  in  such  memorial  ser- 
vices as  may  be  most  expressive  of  their  grief  at  the  loss  of  our  distinguished 
President,  the  four  most  eventful  years  of  whose  illustrious  life  were  spent 
within  our  borders. 

"  I  would,  as  a  further  mark  of  respect,  order  that  all  the  municipal  oflBces 
be  closed  on  the  above  day. 

**  J.  Taylob  Ellyson,  Mayor." 


58§  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

The  City  Council,  Chamber  of  Commerce,  R.  E.  Lee  Camp  of  Confederate 
Veterans,  Pickett  Camp,  and  other  organizations  passed  feeling  and  appro- 
priate resolutions. 

We  could  fill  many  pages  with  expressions  from  distinguished  Virginians, 
but  can  find  space  for  only  the  following  from  two  gallant  and  accomplished 
soldiers : 

General  D.  H.  IMaury,  a  long-time  friend  of  Mr.  Davis,  wrote  to  the  Dis- 
patch : 

"Dauntless  courage  was  the  foundation  of  that  great  character  which  so 
long  guided  our  struggles  for  nationality.  In  a  long  and  stormy  life  it  never 
failed  friend  nor  foe,  and  met  good  and  evil  fortune  with  equal  front.  When 
riding  along  his  victorious  lines  at  Manassas,  when  manacled  in  his  cell,and 
when  confronting  his  accusers  and  executioners,  Jefierson  Davis  was  ever 
the  same  calm,  lofty  leader  of  a  great  cause  and  a  great  jDcople,  Calm  in 
battle  as  Joe  Johnson,  generous  as  M.  C.  Butler,  gentle  and  tender  as  R.  E. 
Lee,  a  born  leader  of  men,  his  heart  and  his  hand  were  ever  open  to  every 
touch  of  tenderness  or  sympathy,  and  great  and  daring  as  he  was  in  war 
and  in  council,  ho  was  greater  in  his  home. 

"Dabney  H.  Mavry." 

Gen.  William  H.  Payne,  of  Warrenton,  in  enclosing  check  for  $100  for  the 
monument,  to  the  Richmond  State,  wrote : 

"Richmond,  where  he  ruled  as  king,  is  the  only  place  to  bury  our  king. 

"It  was  the  place  chosen  by  the  whole  Confederacy  as  its  head  and  heart, 
and  it  is  the  place  where  its  highest  heroes  should  sleep. 

"  Men  seem  to  forget  that  Richmond  was  the  real  theatre  whereon  Mr. 
Davis  acted  his  noblest  part.    It  seems  sacrilege  to  bury  him  elsewhere. 

"  Let  the  Legislature  and  the  City  Council  send  messengers  to  Mrs.  Davis 
entreating  her  to  give  us  dead  what  we  so  much  honored  when  living. 

"  No  defeated  leader  ever  lived  so  noble  a  life. 

"Let  all  the  South  weep  for  her  honored  son,  but  let  Virginia  hold  his 

remains. 

"  W.  H.  Payne." 

The  vestry  of  St.  Paul's  Church  adopted  suitable  resolutions,  and  set  apart 
two  windows  of  the  church  for  memorial  windows  "to  R.  E.  Lee  and  Jef- 
ferson Davis — par  nobilefratrum." 

"Memcnnal  Day,^'  December  11,  1889,  was  very  generally  observed  in  Rich- 
mond. 

The  State  and  city  olfices,  the  railroad  depots,  the  banks,  and  business 
houses  generally  were  closed;  many  of  the  houses  were  draped,  and 
immense  crowds  of  people  attended  the  memorial  services. 

At  St.  Paul's  Church  the  venerable  Dr.  Charles  IMinnigerode  delivered  the 
eloquent  and  touching  address  which  we  have  already  given  in  fall. 


UTTLK  JOE  DAVIS'S  GRAVE  JN  HOLLYWOOD  CEMETERY.  RICHMOND.  VA. 


560  THE  DAVIS  ME3fORIAL  VOLUME. 

Monumental  (Episcopal)  Church  was  packed  to  its  utmost  capacity.  Bev. 
Dr.  Lewis  William  Burton,  of  St.  John's  Church  Rev.  Preston  Nash,  of  St. 
James,  and  Rev.  James  R.  Funsten,  of  Christ  Church,  all  took  part  in  the 
services,  and  the  rector,  Rev.  Dr.  J.  B.  Newton,  delivered  an  eloquent  and 
appropriate  address,  which  he  closed  by  saying : 

"  Grateful  for  all  these  noble  qualities  of  mind  and  heart  for  his  God- 
given  genius  and  spotless  name,  as  we  stand  to-day  beneath  the  shadows  of 
the  grave  we  are  more  grateful  still  that  Jefferson  Davis,  the  hero  of  Buena 
Vista,  the  great  statesman,  the  faithful  leader  of  his  people,  at  the  moment 
of  his  highest  human  glory  bowed  his  head  and  confessed  himself  openly 
before  the  world  a  lowly  follower  of  Jesus  Christ." 

At  Moore  Memorial  Episcopal  Church,lRev.  Dr.Sprigg,  the  Rector,  delivered 
an  impressive  address  to  a  full  house. 

At  the  Broad  Street  Methodist  Church  the  congregation  was  very  large.  The 
pastor.  Rev.  Dr.  J.  S.  Lambeth  introduced  the  services  by  saying : 

"  The  booming  of  the  guns,  the  tolling  of  the  bells,  the  half-masted  flags, 
and  the  mourning  badges  that  surround  us  tell  us  that  the  mortal  remains 
of  a  peerless  gentleman,  the  great  leader,  are  about  to  be  committed  to 
mother  earth.  I  thank  God  that  he  ever  gave  to  the  world  such  a  man 
as  Jefferson  Davis." 

Rev.  Dr.  Sturgis,  Rev.  Dr.  Bledsoe,  Rev.  Dr.  W.  E.  Judkins,  Rev.  J.C. 
Martin,  Rev.  C.  C.  Wertenbaker,  Rev.  J.  A.  Jefferson,  Rev.  J,  P.Woodward, 
Dr.  J.  L.  Buchanan  and  others  participated  in  the  services. 

Rev.  Dr.  J.  Wiley  Bledsoe,  Rev.  Dr.  W.  E.  Judkins,  Major  W.  T.  Sutherlin 

of  Danville,  and  Rev.  Dr.  Atkins,  president  of  Emory  and  Henry  college, 

"Xle  feeling  and  appropriate  tributes  to  the  "  Grandest  of  American  States- 

'fi" — as  Dr.  Atkins  pronounced  him. 

•Sajor  Sutherlin  feelingly  and  eloquently  recalled  reminiscences  of  Presi- 
y^t  Davis's  stay  at  his  house,  in  DanviHe,  after  the  evacuation  of  Richmond. 

'/r.  Lambeth,  an  old  chaplain  in  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  closed 
Ae  services  by  saying : 

"Jefferson  Davis — the  soldier,  the  statesman,  and  peerless  gentleman — is 
no  more.  He  deserves  the  grandest  monument  that  can  be  erected  to  his 
memory;  but  the  best  monument  is  that  which  has  this  day  been  erected 
in  the  hearts  of  the  Southern  people." 

At  the  Second  Baptist  Church,  at  11:30  every  seat  was  occupied,  and  the 
hundreds  who  came  afterwards  were  turned  away.  The  Baptist  pastors  of 
Richmond  and  Manchester  were  on  the  platform.  Dr.  Hatcher  presided 
Dr.  Whitfield  led  in  prayer,  and  Drs.  Cooper  and  Frost  and  Revs.  S.  C.  Clop- 
ton  and  L.  R.  Thornhill  took  part  in  the  services. 

The  faculty  and  students  of  Richmond  College  and  of  the  Richmond 
Female  Institute,  and  Pickett  Camp  Confederate  Veterans,  attended  the 
meeting,  and  the  deepest  solemnity  and  tenderest  feeling  pervaded  the  vast 
crowd. 


VIRGINIA'S  TRIBUTE.  591 

After  a  brief  but  appropriate  introductory  address  by  Dr.  Hatcher,  Rev. 
Dr.  S.  A.  Goodwin,  of  Grove  Avenue  Baptist  Church,  made  an  address  of  rare 
eloquence,  in  which  he  spoke  of  INIr.  Davis  as  patriot,  statesman,  soldier, 
and  Christian.    Dr.  Goodwin  was  himself  a  gallant  Confederate  soldier. 

Rev.  Dr.  W.  W.  Landrum,  pastor  of  the  Second  Baptist  Church  (who  is 
liound  to  the  Davis  family  by  the  tender  tie  that  his  brother  and  Jefferson 
Davis,  Jr.,  both  died  of  yellow  fever  in  Memphis  about  the  same  time  and 
their  fothers  and  mothers  mingled  their  symjjathies  and  tears),  made  an 
eloquent  and  appropriate  address  on  "  The  lessons  of  the  hour." 

At  the  Seventh  Street  Christian  Church  Elder  L.  A.  Cutler  addressed  the  large 
and  deeply  interested  crowd  in  an  eloquent  and  impressive  manner. 

Lee  Camp  Confederate  Veterans  attended  the  Second  Presbyterian  church, 
having  invited  the  pastor,  Rev.  Dr.  M.  D.  Hoge,  one  of  their  honorary  mem- 
bers, to  address  them.  The  spacious  house  was  crowded  long  before  the 
appointed  hour,  and  man  J' went  away  unable  to  find  even  standing  room. 
Rev.  Drs.  C.  H.  Reed,  W.  T.  Richardson,  Hoge,  Campbell,  and  Fair, and  Rev. 
Messrs.  Stewart,  Gammon,  and  Turnbull  participated  in  the  services. 

Rev.  Dr.  M.  D.  Hoge,  who  has  been  pastor  of  this  same  church  for  forty- 
five  years,  who  had  close  relations  with  IMr.  Davis  during  the  war,  who  is 
widely  known  as  one  of  the  iinest  pulpit  orators  in  the  country,  and  who 
made  the  great  oration  at  the  unveiling  of  the  statue  of  Stonewall  Jackson 
in  Richmond,  fully  sustained  his  high  reputation  and  met  the  expectations 
of  the  vast  crowd  by  an  address  which  the  Dispatch  pronounced  "faultless." 

The  Virginia  Legislature  was  in  session  at  the  time,  but  adjourned  to  attend 
the  services  at  the  churches,  and  held  their  own  memorial  meeting  after 
these  had  adjourned. 

The  following  joint  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted  after  eloquent 
and  appropriate  addresses  in  tbe  Senate  by  Hon.  J.  N.  Stubbs,  of  Gloucester ; 
Hon.  H.  G.  Peters,  of  Henry,  and  Senator  Moore,  of  Fairfasl;  and  in  the 
House  by  Hon.  R.  C.  Kent,  of  Wythe ,  Judge  Bolen,  of  Carroll ;  Hon.  Green- 
lee Letcher,  of  Rockbridge  (son  of  the  "War-Governor"  of  Virginia),  and. 
Clerk  of  the  House  John  Bell  Bigger: 

"1.  Besolved,  That  the  people  of  this  Commonwealth  have  heard  with  pro- 
found sorrow  of  the  death  of  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis,  the  ex-President  of  the 
Confederate  States  of  America.  We  recognize  in  the  death  of  Mr.  Davis  the 
loss  of  a  distinguished  soldier,  statesman,  and  patriot.  In  every  position  of 
life,  whether  on  the  field  of  battle,in  the  councils  of  the  nation,  o>."  as  chief 
of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  Mr.  Davis  was  distinguished  for  his  fidelity  to 
principle,  lofty  patriotism,  and  loyalty  to  the  trusts  imposed  upon  him. 
The  people  of  the  Southern  States,  of  whom  he  was  the  chosen  chief  magis- 
trate, are  honored  in  his  pure  record  and  stainless  life.  His  name  is  insepa- 
rably connected  with  the  history  of  our  country,  and  the  historian  of  the 
future,  when  passion  and  strife  have  cleared,  will  assign  to  this  hero  of  the 
'Lost  Ctiuse''  a  place  among  the  wise  and  good  men  of  all  the  ages. 


592  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

"2.  The  General  Assembly  respectfully  tenders  its  sympathy  to  his  family 
in  their  bereavement. 

"3.  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  Journal  of  each  house,  and 
be  communicated  to  the  Governor  with  the  request  that  he  impart  them  to 
the  family  of  the  deceased. 

"4.  As  a  further  mark  of  respect  to  his  memory,  upon  the  passage  of  these 
resolutions  the  General  Assembly  will  adjourn  for  this  day." 

The  Riclimond  Iloicltzers,  whose  guns  were  heard  on  every  battle-field  m 
Virginia  from  Big  Bethel  to  Appomattox,  fired  "  minute  guns,"  beginning  at 
7  A.  M.,  and  the  tribute  of  the  capital  of  the  Confederacy  to  "  our  dead  Pres- 
i  dent"  was  very  warm  and  appropriate  in  all  of  its  features. 

A  pleasing  incident  may  be  added.  When  the  venerabl  e  Dr.  J.  V.  Hob- 
son  and  his  good  wife— who  for  some  years  have  assumed  the  "labor  of 
love  "  of  caring  for  the  grave  of  little  Joe  Davis  over  which  the  children  of 
Richmond  erected  a  monument — went  on  the  afternoon  of  memorial  day  to 
carry  their  ofi'ering  of  flowers,  they  found  that  other  loving  hands  had  been 
before  them,  and  that  the  little  grave  was  covered  with  the  most  beautiful 
flowers  to  be  found.  But  Richmond's  tribute  did  not  cease  with  memor-ial 
day. 

On  Saturday  night,  December  21st,  the  spacious  Academy  of  Music  was 
filled  with  the  elite  of  the  city,  assembled  to  honor  Mr.  Davis  and  beseech 
his  body  for  interment  in  the  old  capitol  of  the  Confederacy. 

Hon.  J.  Taylor  Ellyson,  Mayor  of  thecity,  called  the  meeting  to  order,  and 
after  a  fervent  and  appropriate  prayer  by  Rev.  Dr.  M.  D.  Hoge,  made  a  brief 
but  very  appropriate  address  and  called  on  Governor  Fitzhugh  Lee  to  pre- 
side over  the  meeting. 

In  taking  the  chair  Governor  Lee  made  an  eai-nest  and  eloquent  address 
which  was  heartily  applauded. 

He  concluded  by  saying  : 

*'  Such  is  the  man,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  the  capitol  city  of  the  Confed- 
eracy remembers  this  evening.  For  four  j^ears  he  was  a  familiar  figure  on 
our  streets,  in  his  executive  office,  and  on  horseback  as  he  rode  around  the 
lines  of  fire  then  encircling  the  citj'. 

"  When  the  ship  of  the  new  republic  was  launched  he  was  called  to  the 
command  and  was  with  her  'rocked  in  the  cradle  of  the  deep.'  Storms  ot 
war  burst  upon  her  deck  before  her  machinery  was  even  put  in  motion ;  but 
through  the  thunder's  roar,  when  the  cordage  was  rent,  when  the  breakers 
were  dashing  against  her,  when  despair  was  visible  upon  the  faces  of  some 
cf  the  crew,  and  when  she  began  to  settle  and  sink  amid  the  lurid  flashing 
of  the  lightning,  the  captain  was  seen  standing  calm,  heroic,  resolute,  grand 
in  all  the  glory  of  a  man,  grasping  with  a  firm  hand  the  helm  as  she  sank 
down,  down  in  the  sea  of  eternity. 

"Here  let  the  soldier  sleep,  whose  sword  flashes  no  longer  in  the  forefront 
of  batU©. 


VIRGINIA'S  TRIBVTE.  593 

*'  Here  let  the  orator  be  buried,  upon  whose  lips  audiences  were  once  sus- 
pended magically  as  if  by  golden  chains. 

"Here  let  the  statesman  rest,  watched  over  and  guarded  by  the  city  that 
ever  received  his  loving  attention. 

"Here  let  the  chieftain  be  brought  and  buried  in  May,  when  a  monument  is 
to  be  unveiled  to  one  of  his  army  commanders,  when  Nature  spreads  her 
carpet  of  green,  when  in  the  aisles  of  the  orchard  the  blossoms  are  drifting 
and  *  the  tulip's  pale  stalk  in  the  garden  is  lifting  a  goblet  of  gems  to  the 
sun.'  And  here  too  let  us  erect  a  monument  that  will  stand  in  lofty  and 
lasting  attestation  to  tell  our  children's  children  of  our  love  for  the  memory 
of  Jefferson  Davis." 

Major  Charles  S.  Stringfellow  was  the  next  speaker  on  the  programme  and 
pronounced  an  eloquent,  chaste,  and  appropriate  eulogy  on  the  "good,  pure, 
able  and  brave "  leader,  and  made  a  powerful  plea  for  Richmond  as  the 
proper  place  for  his  grave  and  monument.  He  was  frequently  interrupted 
with  rapturous  applause. 

The  Committee  on  resolutions — consisting  of  General  Peyton  Wise,  Messrs. 
Thomas  Nelson  Page,  and  Page  McCarty,  Colonel  Richard  F.  Beirne,  and 
Colonel  Archer  Anderson — made  their  report  through  General  "Wise,  who 
prefaced  with  a  few  eloquent  remarks,  the  following  resolutions,  which  were 
seconded  by  Mr.  J.  Bell  Bigger  in  a  few  earnest  remarks,  and  unanimously 
adopted : 

"  Like  a  ripe  oak  in  the  stillness  of  the  forest,  a  great  man  has  falllen.  Jef- 
ferson Davis,  of  Mississippi — laurelled  officer  in  the  army,  Secretary  of  War, 
Senator  of  the  United  States,  and  late  President  of  the  Confederate  States — 
having  added  the  crowning  grace  of  a  Christian  life  to  the  sturdy  strength 
of  his  natural  manhood,  has  been  gathered  to  his  fathers. 

"  He  had  not  merely  been  the  representative  of  the  cause  of  the  Southern 
people;  he  not  only  when  this  failed  took  our  burdens  upon  him  and  suffered 
in  our  stead,  but  he  was  the  type  of  whatever  is  best  and  truest  in  the  South- 
ern character,  of  its  undying  love  of  liberty,  its  unswerving  devotion  to  law 
and  order,  its  uncompromising  adherence  to  principle,  its  gentleness  and 
gallantry,  its  simplicity  and  good  faith;  and  its  chivalrous  defence  of  women 
and  children  and  of  whatever  is  weak  against  whatever  is  strong. 

"We,  citizens  of  Richmond,  in  mass-meeting  assembled,  come,  there- 
fore, to-night  lovingly  and  earnestly,  not  to  bury,  but  to  praise  him;  not 
simply  to  mourn  him,  but  to  make  memorials  of  hhn  and  to  rejoice  that  God 
gave  him  to  us  for  an  example  and  an  inspiration  forever.  And  we  come,  too, 
without  apology,  but  without  defiance,  with  affectionate  regards  for  our  fel- 
low-citizens, everywhere,  but  with  special  love  for  him,  to  commend  his 
character  to  all  America  as  one  to  be  reverentially  pondered,  and  which  in 
the  special  respect  of  stern  fidelity  to  honest  convictions  is  altogether 
admirable  and  glorious. 


594  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

"  With  these  sentiments,  and  proud  and  grateful  to  have  them  in  us,  •«•« 
resolve : 

"1.  That  as  Richmond  was  the  Capitol  of  the  Confederate  States  and  the 
place  where  his  high  manhood  and  statesmanship,  his  stainless  probity  and 
glad  self-sacrifice  for  the  Southern  people  were  most  conspicuously  illus- 
trated, Richmond,  on  behalf  of  all  the  Southern  people,  should  be  tho  spot 
"ft  here  his  remains  shall  be  tenderly  guarded,  and  where  a  statue  (now 
gladly  pledged)  rising  above  them  shall  teach  to  Southern  youth  that  not 
worldly  success  but  duty  done  at  every  hazard  upon  every  field,  and  the 
being  every  inch  a  man  in  evil  report  as  in  good  report,  through  all  sufi'er- 
ing  of  the  body  and  the  mind,  are  the  real  goals  of  the  Christian  gentleman. 
And  we  humbly  pray  the  beloved  widow  of  our  great  Chief  to  give  those 
remains  to  us  for  such  a  disposal  of  them. 

"  2.  That  the  Governor  of  Virginia,  who  is  the  chairman  of  this  meeting, 
be  requested  to  convey  our  action  to  Mrs.  Jeff'erson  Davis." 

The  regular  programme  being  over,  there  were  loud  calls  for  Hon.  J.  L.  M. 
Curry,  who  had  known  Mr.  Davis  in  the  old  United  States  Congress,  and 
when  a  member  of  the  Confederate  Congress,  and  in  response  he  made  a 
brief  address  of  rare  beauty,  pathos,  and  eloquence. 

Dr.  J.  William  Jones  responded  to  loud  calls  and  made  a  ten  minutes' 
speech,  which  he  closed  by  saying : 

"  We  are  loyal  citizens  of  the  United  States  now,  and  we  would  not  revive 
bitter  memories  of  a  stormy  past.  But  we  must  see  to  it  that  our  children 
and  our  children's  children  are  taught  that  their  fathers  were  not  rebels' 
and  '  traitors,'  but  as  true  patriots  as  the  world  ever  saw,  and  that  that  cause 
could  not  be  'treason'  for  which  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  and  Stonewall 
Jackson,  and  Robert  E.  Lee,  and  Jefi'erson  Davis,  and  the  barefooted  and 
ragged  heroes  who  followed  them  to  an  immortality  of  fame,  gave  their 
stainless,  noble  lives." 

This  sentiment  was  greeted  with  vociferous  applause  and  cheers. 

Richmond  had  yet  another  immense  meeting  on  the  evening  of  the  25th 
of  January,  1890,  when  Senator  John  W.  Daniel  delivered  before  the  Legis- 
lature the  great  speech  which  we  have  already  published  in  full. 

In  introducing  Senator  Daniel  on  that  occasion,  the  Speaker  of  the  House 
of  Delegates,  Hon.  R.  H.  Cardwell,  of  Hanover,  said : 

"  It  is  the  pleasing  part  of  my  duties  to  welcome  you  on  this  occasion — 
especially  pleasing  because  the  presence  of  this  magnificent  audience  demon- 
strates that  when  the  present  General  Assembly  of  Virginia  invited  one  of 
her  favorite  sons  and  her  most  gifted  orator  to  deliver  in  this,  the  capitol 
city  of  the  late  Confederate  States  of  America,  an  oration  on  the  life  and 
character  of  the  lamented  Jefi'erson  Davis,  thej'  but  voiced  the  wishes  of  the 
people  whom  they  have  the  honor  to  represent.  In  1865,  near  the  close 
of  the  Confederacy's  short  life,  the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia  addressed 
an  open  letter  to  President  Davis,  in  which  it  declared  '  its  desire  in  this 
eritical  period  of  affairs,  by  such  suggestions  as  occur  to  them  and  by  the 


VJRGhXIA'S  TRIBUTE.  695 

dedication,  if  need  be,  of  the  entire  resources  of  the  Commonwealth  to  the 
common  cause,  to  strengthen  our  hands  and  to  give  success  to  our  struggle 
for  liberty  and  independence.' 

"In  reply  President  Davis  said:  '  Your  assurance  is  to  me  a  source  of  the 
highest  gratification ,  and  while  conveying  to  you  my  thanks  for  the  exprcs- 
eion  of  the  confidence  of  tlie  General  Assembly  in  my  sincere  devotion  to 
my  country  and  its  sacred  cause,  I  must  beg  permission  in  return  to  bear 
witness  to  the  uncalculating,  unhesitating  spirit  with  which  Virginia  has, 
from  the  moment  when  she  first  drew  the  sword,  consecrated  the  blood  of 
her  children  and  all  her  material  resources  to  the  achievement  of  the  object 
of  our  struggle.' 

"  Our  '  sacred  cause '  was  lost,  and  after  long  yea»s  of  vicarious  sufi'ering, 
through  all  of  which  he  was  true  to  us  and  to  our  dead,  our  chieftain  has 
passed  away  ;  but  the  love  for  the  principles  for  which  Ave  contended,  and 
the  memory  of  him  who  contributed  so  much  to  make  our  record  in  that 
struggle  glorious,  will  live  forever  in  the  hearts  of  all  true  men  and  women 
throughout  our  Southland.  It  is  oui  purpose  on  this  occasion  to  review  the 
brilliant  life  and  spotless  character  of  !Mr.  Davis,  and  in  selecting  as  the 
orator  that  fearless  son  of  Virginia  whose  eloquent  words  as  enduring  as 
marble,  have  held  up  for  review  by  coming  generations  the  life  and  charac- 
ter of  other  of  our  great  leaders  who  have  '  crossed  over  the  river,'  we  again 
have  your  approval,  and  his  name  is  so  indelibly  written  in  our  afi'ections 
that  your  reception  of  him  here  to-night  will  further  demonstrate  that  it  is 
a  needless  task  for  me  more  formally  to  introduce  to  a  Virginia  audience 
John  W.  Daniel." 

But,  as  we  have  said,  the  tributes  of  otlier  cities  and  towns  of  Virginia 
were  as  warm  and  hearty  as  those  of  Eichmond. 

In  Norfolk  and  Portsmouth,  the  Pickett-Buchanan  Camp  of  Confederate 
Veterans,  and  Stonewall  Camp  of  Portsmouth  led  the  way  in  passing  suit- 
able resolutions  and  preparing  for  the  observance  of  ]\Iemorial  Day,  and  the 
people  generally  heartily  united. 

The  Academy  of  Music  was  packed  to  its  utmost  capacity  on  the  12th, 
and  an  "  overflow  "  meeting  was  held  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Hall.  Confederate 
veterans,  Mexican  veterans,  and  the  local  military  took  prominent  part  in 
the  meeting. 

Rev.  B.  D.  Tucker,  of  the  Episcopal  church  ;  Rev.  Dr.  Geo.  D.  Armstrong, 
of  the  Presbyterian  church ;  Rev.  Dr.  J.  I>.  Burrows,  of  the  Free-Mason- 
Street  Baptist  church ;  Rev.  J.  F.  Hunter,  and  Rev.  Father  Dougherty,  of 
St.  Mary's  Catholic  church,  participated  in  the  religious  services, 

Capt.  Richard  F.  Walke  read  the  very  graceful  and  appropriate  resolu- 
tions, which  were  adopted,  and  made  a  brief  but  eloquent  speech,  as  did 
Col  Walter  H.  Taylor  (Gen.  Lee's  old  A.  A.  G.)  in  seconding  them. 

The  orator  of  the  day  was  Major  Baker  P.  Lee,  of  Hampton,  one  of  the 
most  polished  orators  in  the  State,  and  he  well  sustained  his  high  reputa- 
tion in  a  splendid  tribute  to  his  old  chief. 


S96  TBE  DAVtS  MEMoniAL  VOLIJMR 

Rev.  Dr.  Barten,  who  had  \dsite(i  and  ministered  to  Mr.  Davis  when  m 
prison  at  Fortress  Monroe,  made  a  touching  address,  in  which  he  recalled 
deeply  interesting  incidents  of  that  period. 

In  the  meeting  at  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Hall  Eev.  Dr.  Robert  Gatewood,  Rev.  Dr.  T. 
G.  Jones,  Rev.  Mr.  Minnick  and  Rev.  Dr.  Tudor  participated  in  the  religi- 
ous exercises,  and  Rev.  Dr.  W.  G.  Starr  and  Judge  Theo.  S.  Garnett  were  the 
eloquent  speakers. 

In  Portsmouth  business  generally  was  suspended,  and  a  large  crowd  assem- 
bled at  the  Monumental  M.  E.  church,  under  the  auspices  of  "Stonewall" 
Camp,  Confederate  Veterans. 

In  the  pulpit  of  the  church  w^ere  Rev.  Mr.  Reed,  presiding  elder ;  Rev. 
Dr.  W.  E.  Edwards,  Rev.  Dr.  A.  E.  Owen,  Revs.  F.  F.  Reese,  G.  W.  Wray,  R. 
L.  McMurran,  J.  D.  Powell,  Judge  A.  S.  Watts,  Judge  L.  R.  Watts,  O.  V. 
Smith,  Major  J.  F.  Crocker,  Captain  James  II.  Toomer,  Revs.  George  E. 
Truett,  D.  P.  Willis,  Captain  W.  H.  IMurdaugh,  and  others. 

Rev.  Dr.  W.  E.  Edwards  preached  the  memorial  sermon,  which  the  paper 
said  was  "able  and  eloquent,"  Col.  K.  R.  Griffin  offered  appropriate  resolu- 
tions, and  Judge  L.  R.  Watts  made  the  address.  "  He  reviewed  the  life  of 
President  Davis,  and  paid  a  glowing  tribute  to  his  superb  valor  as  a  soldier, 
his  worth  as  a  citizen,  and  his  wisdom  as  a  statesman  and  chief  magistrate. 
He  spoke  of  his  loyalty  to  the  South  and  constitutional  liberty,  his  splendid 
courage  in  the  eventful  four  years'  struggle,  and  his  sublime  fortitude  in 
defeat  and  adversity.  In  concluding,  he  alluded  eloquently  to  the  lofty 
Christian  character  of  President  Davis  amid  the  painful  imprisonment  and 
suffering  that  followed  for  two  years  after  the  war." 

In  Petersburg — battle-scarred,  historic,  old  Petersburg — "Memorial  Day" 
was  observed  by  the  general  suspension  of  all  business,  the  parade  of  A.  P. 
Hill  Camp  of  Confederate  Veterans  and  the  military,  and  a  monster  mass- 
meeting  at  the  Opera  House,  presided  over  by  Mayor  Collier. 

After  a  fervent  and  appropriate  prayer  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Pilcher,  chaplain  of 
A.  P.  Hill  Camp,  Capt.  W.  Gordon  jMcCabe  prefaced  the  reading  of  the  fol- 
lowing resolutions  with  a  brief  speech,  which  was  singularly  chaste,  appro- 
priate and  eloquent.  It  is  evident,  also,  that  the  resolutions  were  drawn  by 
his  graceful  pen  and  soldier's  ardor. 

"  Whereas  the  A.  P.  Hill  Camp,  Confederate  Veterans,  of  Petersburg,  Vir- 
ginia, has  heard  with  profound  sorrow  of  the  death  of  the  Hon.  Jefferson 
Davis,  late  President  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America,  therefore,  be  it 

''Resolved,  First,  That  in  the  death  of  this  illustrious  man,  the  whole 
South  mourns  the  loss  of  a  dauntless  leader,  whose  fame  must  be  forever 
associated  with  the  heroic  achievements  of  a  people  battling  for  hearth  and 
home  and  country — a  man,  who,  in  victory  and  disaster  alike,  bore  himself 
with  such  noble  equanimity,  such  serene  constancy,  such  single  minded  devo- 
tion to  duty,  as  Avill  forever  enshrine  his  name  among  the  great  champions 
of  freedom. 


VIEGINIjVS  tribute.  597 

"  For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  every  calumny  that  brutal  malig- 
nity could  invent  and  envenomed  passion  proclaim,  has  been  hurled  a^rainst 
him;  yet  steadfast  in  the  consciousness  of  exalted  principle,  upheld  by  an 
unwavering:  conviction  of  the  righteousness  of  the  cause,  to  which  he  dedi- 
cated both  heart  and  brain,  and  which  to  the  last,  was  to  him  and  to  mil- 
lions of  his  countrymen,  'strong  with  the  strength  of  truth  and  immortal 
with  the  immortality  of  right,'  he  met  with  quiet  dignity  and  intrepid  front 
the  storm  of  obloquy,  with  wliich  sectional  hateand  coarse  fanaticism  vainly 
sought  to  beat  down  and  crush  the  'dauntless  temper  of  his  mind.'  It  was 
his  lot  to  be  tried  in  grest  events,  and  in  the  many  grave  trusts  confided  to 
his  wisdom,  skill  and  valor,  he  was  equal  to  the  trial.  In  council,  in  debate, 
on  field  of  battle,  he  ever  '  stood  four-square  to  all  the  winds  that  blew,'  and 
when  this  generation  shall  liave  passed  away,  and  the  motives  and  convic- 
tions of  men  shall  be  apprehended  without  passion,  when  a  true  perspective 
of  the  great  struggle  in  which  he  was  our  chosen  leader  shall  be  attained, 
there  shall  shine  out  in  the  broad  light  of  that  heroic  time  no  nobler  figure 
than  that  of  Jefl'erson  Davis. 

"  For  the  people  whom  he  loved,  he  suffered  cruel  torments, yet  he  even 
counted  it  a  glory  and  no  shame,  and  the  vigor  of  his  soul,  disdaining  the 
weakness  of  his  body,  bore  hiin  triumphant  through  the  ignominies  that 
were  heaped  upon  him. 

"  Resolved,  Second,  That  we  honor  his  memory  as  that  of  a  man,  who  in 
private  life  ever '  bore  without  reproach  the  grand  old  name  of  gentleman' ; 
that  we  revere  him  as  a  statesman, 'who  never  sold  the  truth  to  serve  the 
hour' ;  as  a  soldier,  who  even  counted  life  itself  a  worthless  thing  when  free- 
dom was  at  stake ,  as  a  patriot, 

'"Whose  eighty  winters  freeze  with  one  rebnlie, 
All  great  self-seekers  trampling  on  the  Eight.' 

"  Our  love  for  him  is,  in  truth,  rooted  in  proud  memories,  of  which  neither 
we  nor  our  children  after  us  need  ever  be  ashamed. 

''Resolved  Ihird,  That  in  token  of  our  profound  respect  for  his  memory, 
our  merchants  and  others  are  hereby  asked  to  close  their  places  of  business 
during  the  hour  of  the  funeral,  and  that  the  pastors  of  our  city  be  requested 
to  cause  the  bells  of  their  respective  churches  to  be  tolled  81  times,  one 
stroke  for  each  year  of  the  dead  hero's  life. 

"Resolved  Fourth,  That  this  Camp  attend  in  a  body  the  memorial  services 
on  that  day  to  be  held  in  the  Academy  of  Music. 

"  Resolved  Fifth,  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  minutes  of  the 
Camp,  and  that  a  copy  be  forwarded  to  the  widow  and  children. 

"  Resolved,  Sixth,  T\ii\t  \;q  respectfully  request  the  family  to  allow  his 
remains  to  be  buried  in  Richmond,  the  capitol  of  the  late  Confederacy. 

"W.  Gordon  ]\IcC.\be,  Chairman. 
"John  Herbert  Claiborne, 
"Ch.\rles  F.  Collier." 


88S  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Then  followed  addresses  of  rare  appropriateness,  earnestness,  and  feeling, 
by  Eev.  Dr.  J.  W.  Roseboro,  of  the  Tabb-street  Presbyterian  Church ;  Rev. 
J.  "W.  Goodwin,  of  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church;  Rev.  R.  R.  Acree,  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church,  and  Rev.  J.  F.  Twitty,  of  the  Methodist  Church.  The 
exercises  were  interspersed  with  appropriate  hymns  and  prayers,  and  it  is  a 
fact  worth  mentioning  that  all  of  these  memorial  services  have  been  per- 
vaded by  a  deeply  devotional  spirit. 

As  the  towns  of  Virginia  generally  have  united  in  asking  Mrs.  Davis  to 
allow  Richmond  to  receive  and  care  for  the  precious  dust,  it  may  be  well  for 
us  to  give  here  the  following  letter  from  Mrs.  Davis  to  the  Mayor  of  Rich- 
mond : 

"If  gratitude  for  the  manner  in  which  the  people  of  Richmond  sustained 
him  during  the  war,  his  affection  for  her  citizens  and  pride  in  the  calm  for- 
titude of  her  men  and  women,  under  crushing  defeat,  were  to  be  the  moving 
cause  only,  I  might  lay  him  there  unquestioned;  but  the  State  of  his  birth, 
Kentucky;  the  State  of  his  adoption,  which  showered  every  honor  upon 
him  within  her  gift,  Mississippi ;  the  State  where  the  Confederacy  first 
unfurled  her  flag,  Alabama ;  the  State  in  which  his  parents  spent  their  early 
life  and  where  his  father  was  born,  and  where  my  husband  has  received 
many  honors,  Georgia ;  the  State  in  which  we  found  friends  and  home,  and 
where  our  dead  repose,  Tennessee ;  and  last,  but  not  least,  the  State  which 
now  gives  him  sepulture,  amidst  the  tears  and  plaudits  of  her  people,  Loui- 
siana.— all  these  have  put  forth  claims  so  strong  that  I  cannot  choose  among 
them,  and  have  decided  to  wait,  perhaps,  a  year  befope  making  a  selection. 
To  rest  in  the  same  soil  with  your  immortal  heroes,  General  Robert  E.  Lee 
and  Stonewall  Jackson,  is  a  privilege  fully  appreciated,  and  I  would  be  the 
last  to  undervalue  the  honor,  but  when  the  final  decision  must  be  made  I 
cannot  be  unmindful  of  the  rights  of  those  who  have  done  me  the  honor  to 
claim  the  custody  of  my  dead,  and  beg  you  to  have  patience  with  me  for  a 
season." 

In  Lexington  the  exercises  were  of  very  peculiar  interest.  The  exercises 
at  the  Virginia  Military  Institute  and  Washington  and  Lee  University  were 
suspended,  business  houses  were  closed,  and  the  people  who  have  the  high 
privilege  and  honor  of  guarding  the  dust  of  Lee  and  Jackson  came  together 
en  masse  to  honor  their  great  chief,  whom  they,  "when  living,  so  delighted  to 
honor. 

Hon.  J.  Randolph  Tucker  was  the  orator  of  the  occasion,  and  made  a 
speech  of  great  ability  and  power  which  we  regret  that  we  cannot  give 
in  full. 

He  closed  as  follows  : 

"  Our  Confederacy  sank  in  sorrow,  but  not  in  shame.  Dark  and  gloomy 
clouds  gathered  in  heavy  folds  around  its  sitting,  but  they  did  not — they 
could  not — blacken  it !  It  lit  them  into  effulgence  with  its  own  transcendent 
glory. 


VIRGINIA'S  TRIBUTE.  599 

"  Jefferson  Davis  deserves  our  reverence  because  he  has  tstuuJ  for  a  quarter 
of  a  century  in  our  place.  He  endured  a  cruel  captivity  for  two  years,  and 
for  the  residue  of  that  time  has  been  the  vicarious  victim  of  obloquy  and 
reproach  due  to  us  all,  and  heaped  upon  him  alone  by  the  press  and  people 
of  the  North.  His  fortitude  and  devotion  to  truth  never  failed.  He  endured 
not  in  silence,  but  with  a  protest  which  history  has  recorded,  and  will  pre- 
serve as  an  emphatic  vindication  of  the  Confederacy  which  had  perished, 
from  maligu  aspersions  on  the  motives  of  its  friends,  on  the  origin  and 
causes  of  its  formation,  and  on  the  purposes  of  justice  and  liberty,  which 
inspired  those  who  died  in  its  defence,  or  who  survived  to  illustrate  its  prin- 
ciples in  doing  the  duties  public  and  private  which  God  in  his  providence 
assigned  then^to  perform.  He  died  a  citizen  of  Mississippi  and  of  the 
United  States,  and  under  disability  to  hold  office  under  the  government  of 
the  United  States.  He  desired  no  place;  why  should  he?  He  had  filled 
his  place  in  the  temple  of  fame  and  in  the  domain  of  history.  In  personal 
dignity,  and  in  the  peace  of  Gotl  he  lived  and  died.  What  artificial  disabil- 
ity could  taint  his  real  nature?  AVhy  seek  to  remove  it  ?  He  had  made  an 
heroic  and  honest  effort  to  give  freedom  and  independence  to  the  South  and 
had  failed.  God's  will  be  done  !  He  chose  the  sacred  retirement  of  home, 
its  charms  of  family  and  friends,  of  calm  and  philosophical  reflection  and 
study,  and  waited  with  firm  reliance  on  divine  goodness  for  the  last  sum- 
mons, which  comes  to  him  who  has  humbly,  but  bravely,  conscientiously, 
and  with  undaunted  courage  and  patience  done  his  duty,  as  he  saw  it,  to 
truth,  to  his  country,  and  to  God ! 

'  Whether  on  cross  uplifted  high, 

Or  in  the  battle's  van; 
The  fittest  place  for  man  to  die. 

It  where  he  dies  for  man!' 
"Virginia!  Rockbridge!  Lexington!  ever  keeping  guard  over  the  holy 
dust  of  Lee  and  Jackson,  turn  aside  to-day  with  millions  of  your  country- 
men, with  mournful  reverence  and  tender  hearts,  to  twine  a  wreath  of  mar- 
tial  glory  and  weave  a  chaplet  of  civic  fame  to  rest  upon  the  tomb  of  Jefier- 
son  Davis !  In  a  peculiar  sense,  the  fate  of  our  Confederacy  is  recalled 
to-day.  On  its  grave — finally  closed  this  hour — will  be  inscribed  in  imper- 
ishable characters  the  immortal  name  of  the  martial  civilian  who  was  its 
first,  its  only  President.  "We  plant  flowers  about  it  and  water  them  with 
our  tears,  not  hoping  for,  or  as  emblems  of  its  anticipated  resurrection,  but 
to  embalm  it  in  our  fragrant  memories  and  in  our  most  precious  affections. 
And  then,  turning  from  the  ashes  of  our  dead  past  to  the  active  duty  dic- 
tated by  the  example  and  counsels  of  our  departed  leaders,  Albert  Sidney 
Johnston,  Stonewall  Jackson,  Robert  E.  Lee  and  Jefl'erson  Davis,  we  will 
labor  with  a  fidelity  wrought  by  the  stern  but  noble  discipline  of  our  past 
experience,  for  the  maintenance  of  the  constitutional  liberty  they  imperilled 
their  lives  to  save,  and  for  the  promotion  of  the  true  prosperity,  progress 
and  glory  of  our  common  countrj'." 


600  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

In  Danville  "  Cabell-Graves  Camp  "  Confederate  Veterans,  the  authorities, 
the  ministers  of  all  denominations,  and  the  citizens  generally  of  Danville 
and  North  Danville  united  in  a  crowded  mass-meeting  at  the  Academy  of 
Music,  where  there  were  earnest,  appropriate  and  effective  speeches  by 
Eev.  Dr.  P.  A.  Peterson,  of  the  Methodist  Church;  Col.  E.  B.  Withers, 
Judge  Berryman  Green,  Hon.  George  C.  Cabell,  and  Eev.  T.  B,  Thames,  of 
the  First  Baptist  Church. 

But  if  we  continue  even  these  brief  details,  we  will  fill  the  volume  with 
Virginia's  tribute,  and  leave  no  room  for  the  loving  offerings  of  other  States. 
"We  can,  therefore,  barely  mention  other  points. 

At  Fredericksburg  Maury  Camp  and  the  citizens  generally  fittingly  observed 
the  day. 

At  historic  old  WilUarashurg  there  were  appropriate  services  and  addresses 
by  Eev.  Dr.  L.  B.  Wharton,  C.  P.  Armistead,  Esq.,  and  Hon.  Lyon  G.  Tyler 
(son  of  the  late  President  John  Tyler),  the  president  of  old  William  and 
Mary  College. 

At  Franklin  there  w^ere  united  services,  a  large  crowd,  and  addresses  by 
Eev.  M.  L.  Hurley,  Capt.  L.  H.  Webb,  and  others. 

At  Leesburg  and  at  Suffolk  there  was  proper  observance  of  the  day. 

In  Charlottesville  the  Confederate  Veterans  and  local  military  joined  the 
citizens  generally  in  a  meeting,  at  which  Eev.  Dr.  L.  Hanckle,  rector  of  the 
Episcopal  Church,  made  a  notable  address,  which  we  regret  that  we  cannot 
print  in  full. 

We  condense  the  following  from  special  telegrams  to  the  Eichmond  Dis- 
patch. At  all  the  points  named  the  ceremonies  were  solemn,  impressive, 
and  appropriate : 

At  the  Pulaski  meeting  eloquent  addresses  were  delivered  by  Judge  E.  M. 
Brown,  Hon.  J.  Early  Moore,  and  William  M.  Boykin,  and  resolutions 
offered  by  E.  L.  Gardner  were  passed.  Prayer  by  the  Eev.  G.  G.  Snead,  of 
the  Episcopal  Church. 

The  Abingdon  services  were  held  in  the  Methodist  church,  all  the  minis- 
ters of  the  place  participating.  Addresses  were  made  and  the  bells  of  the 
town  tolled. 

The  day  was  observed  at  Blackstone  by  the  military  firing  a  salute  and  by 
services. 

Onancock  fitly  honored  the  dead  hero  by  services  in  the  churches  and 
addresses. 

Memoi'ial  services  at  Harrisonburg  were  held  at  night.  Eev.  Dr.  Cox  and 
Rev.  Mr.  Johnston  were  the  principal  speakers. 

At  Culpeper  the  services  were  held  in  the  Episcopal  Church.  The  mili- 
tary attended  in  a  body,  and  afterwards  fired  a  salute  on  the  church  green. 
There  were  other  features,  including  addresses. 

Touching  addresses  were  delivered  at  Eastville  by  Dr.  William  A.Thomas, 
late  surgeon  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  Eev.  George  W.  Scott,  who  was  a 
chaplain  in  the  Confederate  army.    Business  was  suspended. 


ALABAMA'S  TRIBUTE. 


eo] 


One  of  the  most  eloquent  addresses  of  the  occasion  was  delivered  at  Farm- 
ville  by  Rev.  W.  E.  Evans,  of  the  Methodist  Church.  The  meeting— an 
immense  one — was  held  in  the  Baptist  church. 

Lynchburg's  service  was  at  night  and  in  the  Opera-House,  Dr.  John  E, 
Edwards  being  the  principal  speaker.  The  veterans  of  the  "  Lost  Cause  " 
and  the  mihtary  of  the  city  were  in  attendance  with  colors  draped  in  mourn- 
ing.   At  noun  the  bells  were  tolled  for  an  hour. 


'PJ^jSIgi, 


^  jgBC  ^i^^i^wisiJWWwwii^ll^^P^-s 


'l7^""'"spr: 


'IM^  iil  -'^Hl 


House  in  which  the  First  Confederate  Cabinet  was  held. 

Orange. — Memorial  services  were  held  here  to-day  at  St.  Thomas  Episco- 
pal Church.  The  bells  were  tolled  at  the  churches  and  all  the  business 
bouses  closed  from  11  to  3  o'clock. 

At  Alexandria,  among  the  speakers  were  Gen.  "W.  H.  F.  Lee,  Senator  John 
W.  Daniel,  and  Senator  John  H.  Reagan. 

Berryville,  Warrenton,  Abingdon,  Winchester,  Staunton,  University  of 
Virginia,  Randolph-Macon  College,  Hampden-Sidney  College,  Heathsville, 
Westmoreland,  Richmond,  Lancaster,  New  Kent,  and  other  counties — in 
fact,  the  whole  State,  from  Alleghany  to  Chesapeake,  from  the  Potomac  to 
the  North  Carolina  line — paid  appropriate  tributes  to  the  great  leader,  whom 
the  people  honored  and  loved. 


ALABAMA  S    TRIBUTE. 


No  State  was  more  devoted  to  Mr.  Davis  than  the  one  which  had  the  first 
capital  of  the  Confederacy,  and  nowhere  have  the  tributes  to  his  memory 
been  warmer  or  more  sincere. 


002  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  UME. 

The  MoMgomery  Advertiser  of  December  7th  thus  speaks  of  the  mourning 
of  the  old  capital  of  the  Confederacy  when  the  news  came  of  the  death  of 
one  who  had  come  among  them  first  as  President  of  the  new-born  Con- 
federacy, and  whom  they  had  received  in  1886  with  demonstrations  such  as 
the  proudest  conqueror  might  have  envied: 

"  Montgomery  was  in  mourning  yesterday  for  the  dead  chieftain  of  the 
Lost  Cause. 

"The  announcement  of  the  death  of  ex-President  Jefferson  Davis  brought 
a  great  weight  of  sorrow  to  tlie  hearts  of  the  people,"  and  words  of  sadness 
and  expressions  of  deepest  grief  fell  from  every  lip. 

"  The  news  of  late  with  regard  to  Mr.  Davis's  condition  had  been  rather 
encouraging,  and  the  people  had  been  led  to  think  and  hope  that  he  might 
weather  the  storm  and  regain  his  wonted  health  and  strength.  Still,  the 
fact  that  his  health  had  been  quite  feeble  for  several  years,  and  bore  the 
burden  of  more  than  eighty  years,  forced  upon  the  minds  of  his  most  ardent 
admirers  and  devoted  friends  the  painful  conclusion  that  he  was  passing 
into  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death ;  and  the  news  of  his  death,  fraught 
with  sadness  though  it  was,  did  not  come  as  a  surprise  to  the  public. 

"  The  State  house  was  draped  in  mourning,  and  the  flag  on  the  dome 
placed  at  half  mast  yesterday  morning,  and  all  the  departments  at  the  Capi- 
tol were  closed  for  the  day.  The  flag  on  the  city  building  was  also  placed  at 
half  mast  by  order  of  the  Mayor.  A  number  of  stores  were  draped  with  the 
sable  emblems  of  mourning.  The  State  house  was  still  and  deserted,  and 
stood  like  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  the  statesman  who  had  twice 
stood  under  its  stately  columns  and  received  the  plaudits  of  his  people — 
where  he  was  chosen  chief  of  the  young  old  nation,  whose  fate  was  sealed 
in  the  death  throes  of  Appomattox,  and  where  he  stood  after  a  lapse  of 
twenty-five  years  and  said:  '  Your  demonstration  now  exceeds  that  which 
welcomed  me  then.  I  felt  that  I  was  coming  hom«— coming  to  the  land 
where  liberty  dies  not  and  heroic  sentiments  will  live  forever.  It  takes  a 
great  people  to  do  this.' 

"Again  the  beloved  name  of  Jefferson  Davis  was  passed  from  tongue  to 
tongue,  until  the  people  talked  of  little  else.  They  talked  of  his  life  with 
his  family  when  they  resided  in  Montgomery  during  the  early  period  of  the 
war,  and  of  his  triumphal  visit  to  this  city  in  the  spring  of  1886,  when  he 
came  to  participate  in  the  ceremonies  of  laying  the  corner-stone  of  the  Con- 
federate monument  on  Capitol  Hill.  He  came  with  all  the  pomp  and  cere- 
mony of  a  conqueror  to  enter  the  gates  of  a  great  city  and  the  hearts  of  a 
great  people.  He  came  at  the  earnest  solicitude  and  frequent  requests  of 
friends  who  desired  that  the  people  should  have  an  opportunity  of  demon- 
strating to  him  and  the  world  the  great  love  and  respect  and  reverence  they 
felt  for  him.  He  came  and  was  received  with  open  arms  and  enthusiasm, 
and  greeted  with  the  greatest  demonstration  of  popular  devotion  ev» 
accorded  to  mortal  man  on  Southern  soil," 


ALABAMA'S  TRIBUTE.  603 

Grovernor  Seay  issued  his  proclamation,  and  the  telegrams  were  sent  whicb 
we  have  already  published;  the  Confederate  Veterans  held  a  meeting,  at 
which  there  were  appropriate  resolutions  and  speeches  by  ex-Governor 
Thomas  H.  Watts  and  others,  and  arrangements  were  made  for'  the  large 
attendance  at  the  funeral  from  Alabama  which  we  noted  in  our  account  of 
the  funeral  obsequies. 

Rev.  Dr  M.  B.  Wharton,  pastor  First  Baptist  Church  voiced  the  generaj 
feeling  in  the  following  poem  : 

THE  DEATH  OF  JEFFERSON  DAVIS. 
By  M.  B.  Wharton. 

Our  mighty  chieftain  breathes  no  more, 

His  noble  form  now  cold  and  still, 
Has  fallen  at  last,  life's  conflict  o'er,  • 

Obedient  to  his  Maker's  will. 
As  die  the  brave  and  true,  he  dies; 

He  rests  upon  a  stainless  shield. 
The  Great  Commander  of  the  skies 

Alone  could  call  him  from  the  field. 

He'a  gone  to  that  blest  world  on  high, 

Where  slanders  never  vex  the  soul, 
And  fitting  'tis  his  bones  should  lie, 

Far,  far  removed  from  prowling  ghoul; 
Among  his  friends  should  be  his  tomb, 

Upon  old  ocean's  southmost  verge. 
Where  beauteous  flowers  perennial  bloom 

And  wild  waves  chant  his  funeral  dirge. 

And  he  will  live  on  history's  page, 

Whi]e  cycling  years  shall  onward  move, 
As  victim  once  of  senseless  rage. 

Now  idol  of  his  peoples  love ; 
When  hate  is  buried  in  the  dust, 

When  party  strife  shall  break  its  speax. 
When  truth  is  free,  and  men  are  just, 

Then  will  hia  epitaph  appear. 

Mayor  Graham  issued  the  following  proclamation : 

"Mayor's  Office, 
"  Montgomery,  Ala.,  December  7, 1S89. 
"The  illustrious  Southerner  has  passed  away.  Here  he  was  called  and 
consecrated  to  the  service  of  the  Southern  people,  and  here  was  the  birth- 
place of  the  Confederate  States.  It  is  peculiarly  fitting,  therefore,  that 
the  people  of  this  city,  who  honored  and  cherished  and  sustained  him  to 
the  last,  should  pay  appropriate  honor  to  his  memory. 


^04  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLmLE. 

''  Now,  therefore,  I,  Edward  A.  Graham,  mayor  of  the  city  of  Montgom- 
ery, earnestly  recommend  the  people  to  close  their  respective  places  of  busi- 
ness during  the  hour  appointed  for  the  funeral  of  ex-President  Davis,  and 
that  the  pastors  of  the  several  churches  cause  their  bolls  to  be  tolled  at  that 
h<)ur,  and  that  memorial  exercises  be  held  at  the  Courthouse  at  that  time. 

"Edward  A.  Graham,  Jl/ayor." 

Francis  B.  Lloyd  ("Rufus  Sanders"),  in  the  IMontgomery  Advertiser,  said  : 

"  He  was  the  highest  and  purest  type  of  Southern  manhood — 'the  noblest 
Roman  of  them  all.'  He  was  a  soldier  and  a  statesman,  a  patriot  and  a  gen- 
tleman. On  the  battle-field,  in  the  halls  of  Congress,  and  as  the  leader  of 
the  brave  young  nation  that  rose  from  the  cradle  at  Montgomery  and  found 
a  grave  at  Appomattox — the  chosen  chieftain  of  the  best  and  bravest  army 
that  ever  raised  a  lance  or  met  the  shock  of  arms  on  God's  green  earth— he 
was  gentle  as  he  was  brave,  and  bore  himself  that  the  opposed  might  well 
beware  of  him. 

"  He  had  been  tried  by  the  fires  of  three  wars,  and  never  found  wanting. 
Through  all  the  years  of  strife,  and  tumult,  and  struggle  he  was  true  to  his 
high  sense  of  duty,  to  honor  and  the  right,  as  the  needle  to  the  pole.  It 
had  been  given  to  him  many  times  to  stand  face  to  face  with  death  and  still 
live.  Winter  was  on  his  head  with  the  weight  of  many  years  and  many 
griefs  for  a  crown  of  glory,  and  in  his  heart  was  the  burden  of  many  wrongs 
and  many  sorrows.  But  never  from  his  lips  had  a  w'eak  word  fallen,  nor  in 
his  eye  stood  a  childish  tear." 

Memorial  Day  was  suitably  observed  in  Montgomery  by  the  closing  ol 
places  of  business,  the  draping  of  the  houses,  firing  of  minute  guns,  tolling 
of  bells,  and  services  in  the  churches. 

But  as  the  city  had  sent  to  New  Orleans  her  officials,  her  military,  and 
many  of  her  distinguished  citizens,  the  great  memorial  meeting  was  post- 
poned until  the  night  of  December  19th. 

The  Montgomery  Advertiser  had  the  following  editorial  in  its  issue  of 
December  12th : 

"  AVhen  the  mortal  remains  of  Jefferson  Davis  were  consigned  to  the 
dreamless  couch  of  the  dead  at  New  Orleans  on  yesterday,  the  curtain  went 
down  on  the  scene  that  removes  from  the  stage  of  life  one  of  the  strongest 
and  loftiest  characters  of  modern  times. 

"  It  was  a  Southern  funeral,  and  over  the  bier  of  the  dead  great  man  the 
people  of  the  South  mingled  their  prayers  and  tears  in  universal  homage 
to  the  memory  of  their  old  chieftain.  Public  dignitaries  and  distinguished 
representatives  and  plain,  private  citizens  were  there  from  every  Southern 
State  to  look  for  the  last  time  upon  the  calm,  brave  features  of  the  dead 
soldier,  patriot  and  statesman,  and  follow  the  still  but  knightly  form  to  the 
silent  halls  of  death. 

"It  is  indeed  peculiarly  gratifying  to  all  loyal  and  right  thinking  people 
to  know  that  the  people  of  the  South  have  had   the  manliness,  the  honor 


ALABAMA'S  TRIBUTE.  605 

and  the  courage  to  show  to  all  the  world  that  they  have  not  sought  to  lay 
all  the  burden  of  wrongs  and  sorrows  on  the  big,  brave  heart  of  the  chief- 
tain of  the  Lost  Cause,  but  gladly  and  proudly  shared  the  brunt  and  burden 
with  him,  and  loved  him  and  honored  hire  through  all  and  to  the  last.  The 
men  and  women  of  the  South  can  afford  to  scorn  and  forget  the  cruel  and 
bitter  things  that  have  been  written  and  said  of  him  by  those  who  are 
craven  and  cowardly  enough  to  stab  the  dead  and  desecrate  the  grave.  His 
life  and  character  and  career  l)elong  to  history.  His  deeds  of  honor  and 
courage  and  devotion  to  his  people  are  '  not  engraved  on  tablets  of  stone  ; 
but  on  the  fleshly  tablets  of  the  heart.' " 

On  the  evening  of  December  19th  a  very  large  audience  assembled  at  the 
Theatre.  The  meeting  was  presidedoverbyGen.  J.  T.  Holtzclaw,  and  appro- 
priate resolutions  were  adopted,  the  concluding  one  of  which  reads: 

"That  the  people  of  Alabama  respectfullj',  but  most  earnestly,  request  and 
insist  that  his  mortal  remains  be  buried  beneath  the  monument  erected  to 
the  memory  of  Alabama's  Confederate  heroes — the  corner-stone  of  which 
he  laid — on  Capitol  Hill,  forever  memorable  as  the  birthplace  of  the  Con- 
federate States  of  America." 

Excellent  speeches  were  made  by  Gen.  Holtzclaw,  Gov.  T.  H.  Watts,  Gen. 
John  W.  A.  Sanders,  Gen.  George  P.  Harrison,  of  Opelika,  and  Capt.  B.  H. 
Screws. 

As  Attorney-General  of  the  Confederacy  for  eighteen  months,  and  an  inti- 
mate friend  of  Mr.  Davis,  the  speech  of  Governor  Watts  was  one  of  especial 
interest,  and  we  regret  that  we  cannot  fulfill  our  purpose  of  giving  it  in  full. 

Referring  to  his  relations  to  Mr.  Davis,  Governor  Watts  said  : 

"  Before  I  entered  his  Cabinet  I  knew  and  admired  him  as  a  statesman 
and  hero.    When  I  left  his  Cabinet  I  loved  him  as  a  man." 

He  then  gave  an  interesting  epitome  of  Mr.  Davis's  life,  and  an  able  and 
unanswerable  argument  to  show  that  he  was  not  a  "  traitor."  He  recalled 
several  interesting  anecdotes  and  personal  reminiscences,  and  then  said : 

"Mr.  Davis  was  a  man  of  strong  convictions,  and  clear  judgment,  deliber- 
ate in  the  formation  of  his  conclusions,  and  those  convictions,  when  formed, 
were  rarely  changed.  He  was  ardent  in  his  attachments,  and  ardent  in  his 
opposition  to  all  he  believed  to  be  wrong.  He  was  a  positive.  There  was 
no  double-dealings  or  insincerity  about  him.  He  was  a  man  amongst  men. 
He  was  not  the  cruel  and  hard-hearted  man  his  enemies  paint  him.  He 
was  as  brave  as  a  lion,  yet  as  gentle,  as  kind-  hearted  and  tender  as  a  woman. 

"One  incident  will  illustrate  his  high  sense  of  justice  and  his  kindness  of 
heart.  While  I  was  a  member  of  his  Cabinet,  McNeil  (I  believe  that  was  his 
name),  a  commander  of  the  United  States  forces  in  IMissouri,  took  on  ene 
occasion  nine  prisoners  from  the  Confederates,  and  with  brutal  disregard  of 
the  laws  of  civilized  warfare,  hung  them  until  they  were  dead — dead — dead. 
The  newspapers  and  public  speakers  in  the  South  became  clamoroua  for 
rtt«liati*n  in  kind.    So  pressing  became  the  clamor  that  Mr.  Davis  called  a 


606  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL   VOL  VME. 

meeting  of  his  Cabinet  to  consider  -what  should  be  done.  Several  membeis 
of  his  Cabinet  favored  retaliation  in  kind,  and  that  prisoners  of  war  then 
in  Libby  prison  should  be  taken  out  and  hanged.  I  never  shall  forget  the 
Janguage  of  Mr.  Davis — 'If  I  could  get  McNeil,  I  Avould  hang  him  as  high 
as  Haman ;  but  I  have  not  the  heart  to  take  these  innocent  soldiers,  taken 
prisoners  in  honorable  warfare,  and  hang  them  like  convicted  criminals.  I 
will  settle  this  matter,  gentlemen  of  the  Cabinet,  by  leaving  it  to  the  com- 
manders in  the  army.  If  they  say  hang — they  are  likely  to  suffer  most  by 
the  policy — I  will  forego  my  individual  views.'  This  was  the  last  of  retalia- 
ting by  hanging  prisoners  of  war. 

"  Mr.  Davis  was  not  only  a  man  of  great  qualities  as  a  stateman  and  a  sol- 
dier, but  he  was  an  orator  of  consummate  skill,  and  of  wonderful  power  over 
men.  I  have  heard  Daniel  Webster,  Henry  Clay,  John  C.  Calhoun,  Henry 
A.  Wise  and  William  L.  Yancey,  and  I  say  that  I  never  heard  any  man, 
whose  gallant  personal  presence,  resonant  voice,  and  earnest  and  eloquent 
utterances  wielded  more  magnetic  power  over  legislative  assemblies  and 
people,  than  Jefferson  Davis. 

"  It  is  said  by  speakers  and  the  press  of  the  North,  that  he  never  acquiesced 
in  the  results  of  the  war — that  he  lived  and  died  with  venom  on  his  tongue 
towards  the  Northern  people.  There  rrever  was  a  greater  mistake.  He  felt,  it 
is  true,  that  he  had  done  nothing  for  which  to  ask  pardon  of  the  United 
States.  He  stood  by  his  convictions  and  by  his  devotion  to  the  South  until 
his  dying  hour.  But  he  left  no  spot  on  his  character  as  a  Southern  Chris- 
tian gentleman.  When  he  felt  that  the  cause  of  the  Confederacy  had 
become  hopelessly  defeated,  he  advised  the  people  of  the  Southern  States 
to  bow  to  the  inevitable — give  obedience  to  the  'powers  that  be' — make 
good  citizens,  and  preserve,  as  best  they  could  within  the  Union,  the  great 
landmarks  of  liberty  embodied  in  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States. 

"  About  three  years  since,  while  addressing  his  fellow-citizens  at  Meridien, 
Miss.,  some  one  in  the  audience  asked,  if  the  South  would  ever  again 
attempt  to  secede?  He  at  once  replied,  'No!  No!  No!  Every  Southern 
State  has  in  its  Constitution  a  declaration  that  the  right  to  secede  has  been 
settled  against  the  South  by  the  arbitrament  of  the  sword.  Let  the  South 
build  up  the  South.  Be  obedient  and  good  citizens.  And,  if  Secession  ever 
comes  again,  let  it  come  from  the  North.' 

''  I  heard  him  on  Capitol  Hill  in  April,  1886,  when  he  laid  the  foundation 
stone  of  our  Confederate  monument.  He  there  uttered  not  a  word  to  which 
any  honest  man  North  or  South  could  have  objected.  Then,  if  he  ever 
desired  to  utter  a  sentiment  objectionable  to  the  most  ultra-partisan  of  the 
North,  he  had  the  opportunity.  The  whole  heart  of  Alabama,  and  the 
whole  Southern  people  in  their  sympathies,  came  out  to  meet  him.  The 
grandest  ovation  ever  paid  to  living  man  was  then,  here  in  this  city,  paid  to 
Jeflferson  Davis. 


ALABAMA'S  TRIBUTE.  607 

"I  heard  him  at  Macon,  Ga.,  in  October,  18S7,  utter  a  sentiment,  in 
response  to  an  address  by  the  leader  of  a  company  composed  of  tlic  sons  of 
Confederate  soldiers,  who  presented  him  with  a  badge,  Avhich  showed  his 
pride  in  the  progress  and  development  of  the  South  since  the  end  of  the 
war.  He  said :  '  My  young  friends,  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  there  is  no 
New  South.  There  is  no  New  South !  No,  it  is  the  Old  South  rehabilitated 
and  revivified  by  the  energy  and  virtues  of  Southern  men.'  " 

He  then  gave  a  very  vivid  description  of  the  funeral  obsequies  in  New 
Orleans,  closing  his  speech,  which  elicited  frequent  applause,  as  follows : 

"As  the  funeral  cortege  passed  along  the  crowded  streets  of  New  Orleans, 
from  the  City  Hall,  by  the  statue  of  Robert  E.  Lee,  to  Metaire  Cemetery, 
two  hundred  thousand  people,  with  sorrowful  faces,  witnessed  its  slow  and 
solemn  movement.  Every  public  bmlding,  and,  it  seemed  to  me,  every  pri- 
vate house  in  the  city,  was  draped  in  the  habiliments  of  the  deepest  sorrow. 
The  procession  was  three  miles  long,  and  as  it  marched  minute  guns  were  fired 
and  martial  music  lent  its  mournful  strains  to  solemnify  the  grand  occasion. 

"  Without  undertaking  to  describe  further  the  solemn  scene — my  powers 
are  wholly  inadequate  to  do  it  justice — there  were  two  things  which 
impressed  me  above  all  others.  As  the  procession  passed  the  equestrian 
statue  of  Albert  Sydney  Johnston  every  beholder  was  struck  with  its  appear- 
ance. It  was  draped  in  mourning  from  the  top  to  the  bottom.  I  could  not 
repress  the  emotion  Avhich  swelled  my  heart.  I  felt  that  the  spirit  of  the 
dead  hero  had  left  its  mansion  in  the  skies  and  had  come  down  to  earth  to 
pay  sorrowful  homage  to  its  dead  friend. 

"Just  as  the  casket  was  about  to  be  placed  in  the  vault  under  the  statue  of 
Stonewall  Jackson — after  all  the  ceremonies  were  concluded — and  just  as 
the  rays  of  the  setting  sun  were  gilding  the  solemn  scene  with  their  mellow 
lustre,  twenty-four  young  choristers  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  clad  in  uni- 
form, led  by  the  clarionet's  melodious  tones,  sang  the  old  familiar  song, 
*  Rock  of  Ages,  Cleft  for  Me.'  The  whole  concourse  of  people,  with  tears 
trickling  down  each  face,  joined  in  the  song. 

"As  I  stood  there,  with  the  houses  of  the  dead  like  a  city  of  marble 
palaces,  I  felt  proud  of  Alabama ;  I  felt  proud  of  the  South ;  I  felt  proud  of 
the  United  States.  I  felt  proud  that  I  was  an  Alabamian  ;  proud  that  I  was 
a  Southern  man;  proud  that  I  was  a  citizen  of  the  United  States;  and,  if 
possible,  I  felt  prouder  still  that  I  was  the  friend  of  Jefi'erson  Davis  and  a 
humble  follower  of  the  '  Rock  of  Ages,  Cleft  for  Me,'  and  for  all  mankind." 

And  now  we  can  only  mention  that  appropriate  and  feeling  memorial 
3er\'ices  were  held,  with  resolutions,  speeches,  &c.,  all  over  the  State. 

Mobile,  Birmin<:ham,  Eufaula,  iSelma,  Marion,  Greenville,  Brewton,  Tus- 
caloosa, Ozark,  Troy,  Tuskegee,  Union  Springj=,  Auburn,  Anniston,  Talladega, 
Sheffield,  Camden,  Sumter  county,  Russell  county,  Batesville,  Bibb  county, 
and  many  other  places  vied  with  each  other  in  paying  loving  tribute  to  our  dead 
Piesident,  and  Alabama  showed  that  she  honored  him  now,  as  she  had 
bravely  followed  him  in  the  "  days  which  tried  men's  souls." 


oOg  Tn:^  DAVIS  MEMOUIAL  VOLUMM 

Georgia's  tribute. 

The  first  announcement  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Davis  made  to  Atlanta  an^ 
Georgia,  was  the  following  editorial  in  the  Coiisiitution,  which  was  written  at 
2:30  o'clock  in  the  morning  by  the  gifted  and  lamented  Henry  W.  Grady, 
who  rose  from  his  bed  in  order  that  his  graceful  pen  might  thus  record  the 
promptings  of  his  loving  heart : 

"At  12:45  o'clock  this  morning  a  great  heart  ceased  to  beat — a  stainless  life 
was  closed ! 

"Jefferson  Davis,  first  and  last  President  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  is 
dead !  As  we  write  these  words,  a  thousand  miles  away,  the  body  of  the 
puissant  chieftain,  from  which  the  breath  has  scarcely  parted,  lies  mute  and 
motionless  beneath  the  touch  of  reverential  hands,  while  in  the  regions  of 
the  blest  the  great  soul,  weary  of  the  fretting  hindrances  of  the  flesh,  greets 
friends  and  comrades  gone  before ! 

"And  now  has  passed  away  the  last  of  the  mighty  leaders  of  the  Lost 
Cause!  Cobb,  Stephens,  the  kingly  Toombs,  and  the  steadfast  Hill;  Yan- 
cey,  the  impetuous  gentleman;  Lee,  the  paladin  of  battle,  and  Jackson,  who 
ruled  its  storm — gone — all  gone!  Gone  to  the  great  tribunal  before  which 
all  things  are  judged,  and  to  Him  who  searcheth  all  hearts  and  measureth 
to  victor  and  beaten  in  infinite  mercy  and  infinite  justice.  Closed  the  drama 
amid  which  they  fought  or  plead  as  heroes — sheathed  the  sword,  furled  the 
banner,  sealed  the  record — and  their  dear  names  and  fame,  but  a  memory 
and  a  heritage  to  their  people !  With  Him  who  doeth  all  things  well  they 
rest  at  last ! 

"Jefferson  Davis  will  be  mourned  in  milUons  of  hearts  this  day.  Govern- 
ment will  not  render  to  him  the  pomp  and  circumstance  of  a  great  death ; 
but  his  people  will  give  to  him  a  tribute  of  love  arrd  tears  surpassing  all 
that  government  could  do,  and  honoring  his  memory  as  earthly  parade 
could  not  do!  He  is  our  dead!  And  from  Maryland  to  Texas,  wherever  in 
other  States  or  in  other  lands  his  people  may  have  wandered — wherever 
dauntless  courage  is  or  stainless  honor  has  made  friends — wherever  they  who 
have  suffered  are  loved,  and  superb  fortitude  may  touch  the  heart  or  dim 
the  eye — there  Jeff"erson  Davis — God  bless  his  name  as  we  write  it — will  be 
honored  and  mourned  to-day !  If  amid  the  winds  of  the  new  morning  into 
which  his  soul  has  entered  the  grief  of  this  world  may  come,  he  will  be 
content  to  know  that  his  people  love  him,  and  loving,  mourn!  Greater 
honor  than  is  his  this  people  hath  given,  and  can  give  no  more  I " 

Another  gifted  writer  on  the  Constitution  staff  wrote,  at  the  same  hour,  th( 
following : 

" '  Davis  is  dead ! '  the  message  read ; 
The  night  was  waning  fast ; 
On  lightning  wings  the  sentence  sped ; 
A  Btorm  of  pent-up  tears  unshed 
Cam*  gushing  forth  at  last  I 


GEORGTA'S  TRIBUTE,  609 

"*  Davis  is  dead  I'  the  message  read; 
We  thought  of  days  gone  by, 
And  him  whose  dauntless  courage  fed 
The  Altar  fires  when  hope  had  fled. 
And  darkness  veiled  the  sky! 

"  *  Davis  is  dead ! '  the  message  read  • 
God  keep  his  noble  name! 
The  deeds  of  those  who  fought  and  bled 
For  Dixie  are  eternal  wed 
With  his  undying  fame! 

"'Davis  is  dead! '  the  message  read ; 
Last  of  a  princely  train ; 
Though  lowly  lies  his  crownless  head, 
His  memory  lives,  and  in  his  stead 
No  other  king  shall  reign! 

" — Montgomery  M.  Folsom, 
"2:30  A.  M.,  December  6." 
Governor  John  B.  Gordon  issued  the  following  proclamation: 

"State  of  Georgia,  Executive  Department, 

"Atlanta,  Ga.,  J>ece)?i6er  6, 1889. 
"  By  J.  B.  Gordon,  Governor  : 

"  Jefferson  Davis  is  dead !  He  will  be  buried  on  Wednesday,  the  11th 
instant,  at  noon.  The  South  mourns  her  hero.  His  memory  will  be  en- 
shrined in  the  hearts  of  her  children,  and  the  spotless  record  Of  his  long 
and  eventful  career  will  be  cherished  by  them  to  the  remotest  generation,  as 
their  most  valued  heritage  and  noblest  inspiration.  His  compatriots  who 
loved  and  honored  him  as  the  vicarious  sufferer  for  the  action  of  his  people, 
will  confidently  confide  his  character  and  career  to  the  judgment  of  impar- 
tial history. 

"To  mark  our  respect  for  the  illustrious  dead,  and  to  furnish  occasion  for 
an  expression  of  our  admiration  and  love,  I,  J.  B.  Gordon,  governor  of 
Georgia,  do  issue  this  my  proclamation,  inviting  the  people  of  the  different 
communities  of  this  State  to  assemble  together  at  the  hour  of  Mr.  Davis's 
funeral  at  12  M.,  Wednesday,  the  11th  instant,  and  unite  in  suitable  and 
solemn  memorial  services. 

*•  Given  under  my  hand  and  the  seal  of  the  executive  department,  at 
Atlanta,  this  6th  day  of  December,  1889. 

"J.  B.  Gordon,  Governor." 
Governor  Gordon  also  telegraphed  to  the  other  governors  of  the  old  Con- 
federate States,  suggesting  that  they  also  issue  proclamations,  arranging  for 
memorial  services  the  day  of  the  funeral,  and  as  commander  of  the  United 
Confederate  Veterans,  he  issued  an  order  for  them  to  provide  for  collections 
for  the  benefit  of  the  family,  at  all  of  the  memorial  services. 


ei6  THE  DA  VIS  MFMORIAL  VOL  VMM. 

MayOiT  Glenn  issued  fbe  following; 

"Mayor's  Office, 

"Decm6«'6, 1889. 
*  Id  respect  to  the  memory  of  Jefferson  Davis,  the  first  and  only  President 
of  the  Confederate  States,  and  who  carries  to  the  grave  the  esteem  and  love 
fo  the  Southern  people,  it  is  ordered  that  the  public  buildings  of  the  city 
be  draped  in  mourning  for  thirty  days,  and  that  the  city  offices  be  closed 
from  eleven  o'clock  on  the  day  of  his  funeral. 

"John  T.  Glenn,  Mayor." 

The  Confederate  Veterans  packed  their  hall  on  the  night  of  December 
f  th,  in  response  to  the  following  call : 

"  Headquaetees  Confederate  Veteeans'  Association,  Fulton  County, 

"  Atlanta,  Ga.,  December  6,  1889. 

"  The  president  of  the  confederacy,  the  knightliest  and  mostchivalric,  the 
truest  and  most  faithful  and  amid  the  suffering  of  an  unexampled  oppression, 
the  most  patient  son  of  the  South,  and  an  honorary  member  of  this  asso- 
ciation, has  gently  and  peacefully  passed  away  to  that  better  and  brighter 
world  where  '  war  shall  be  no  more ; '  neither  sorrow,  nor  tears,  nor  death. 
It  is  fitting  that  proper  action  should  be  taken  iu  relation  to  this,  the  saddest 
event  in  our  history,  and  I  therefore,  call  a  meeting  of  the  association  at  7:30 
o'clock  this  evening,  at  Confederate  hall,  to  provide  therefor  and  in 
compliance  with  the  order  of  John  B  Gordon,  general  commanding  the 
United  Confederate  Veterans,  to  arrange  for  suitable  memorial  exercises  and 
raise  a  fund  for  the  widow  and  daughter  of  Mr.  Davis,  at  the  hour  to  be 
appointed  for  his  funeral. 

"W.L.  Calhoun, 
"President  and  Commander" 

Judge  Calhoun,  in  calling  the  meeting  to  order,  paid  a  brief  but  eloquent 
tribute  to  our  great  commander. 

The  committee  presented  the  following  resolutions  which  were  adopted 
by  a  unanimous  and  enthusiastic  vote— after  earnest  and  enthusiastically 
applauded  speeches  by  Dr.  J.  William  Jones,  Capt.  Evan  P.  Howell,  and  Hon. 
A.  H.  Cox. 

"Whereas  we  have  heard  with  profound  sorrow  of  the  death  in  New 
Orleans,  at  12:45  this  morning,  of  President  Jefferson  Davis — our  grand  old 
chief,  our  peerless  leader — and  deem  it  proper  to  put  on  record  some  expres- 
sion ot  our  feelings,  some  poor  tribute  to  his  worth ;  therefore, 

"  Resolved  hy  the  Fulton  County  Confederate  Veterans,  1 .  That,  with  grateful 
hearts  to  Almighty  God,  we  acknowledge  His  goodness  in  sparing  to  us  so 
long  this  grand  old  man  that  he  might  prove  that  human  virtue  can  be  equal 
to  human  calamity — that  he  might  show  himself  even  grander  in  peace  than 
in  war— and  that  he  might  illustrate  in  the  evening  of  his  life  those  beauties 
ot  character  which  adorn  the  Christian  gentleman. 


GEORGIA'S  TRIBUTE.  611 

"2.  That  while  we  bow  with  humble  submission  to  ''his  decree  of  a  loving 
Father,  who  has  called  His  servant  to  'come  up  higher'  and  recognize  the 
good  Providence  by  which  the  toiling  worlcman  has  'ceased  from  his  labors' 
and  'entered  into  his  rest,'  and  the  soldier,  after  his  weary  march,  has  gone 
into  bivouac,  we  deem  it  not  wrong  to  mourn  that  our  leader,  father, 
friend,  will  appear  among  us  no  more  on  earth,  and  to  mingle  our  tears  with 
loved  ones  who  weep  that  the  happy  circle  in  the  home  beside  the  gulf  has 
been  thus  rudely  broken, 

"3.  That  leaving  to  others  his  appropriate  and  fitting  eulogy,  we  desire 
here  merely  to  put  on  record  a  brief  expression  of  the  honor  in  which  his 
old  soldiers  held  Jefferson  Davis — the  high  estimate  they  had  of  him  as 
statesman,  soldier,  patriot,  and  gentleman,  and  the  love  they  cherished  for 
him  as  their  old  commander. 

"4.  That  while  we  would  not  revive  at  this  time  '  bitter  memories  of  a 
stormy  past,' or  uncover  buried  issues— while  we  would,  on  the  contrary, 
'gathering  around  this  royal  corpse,  proclaim  periietual  truce  to  battle' — yet 
we  would  pi'oudly  point  to  his  brave,  patient  life,  his  unswerving  devotion 
to  truth  and  duty,  and  his  self-sacrificing  patriotism,  as  the  most  conclusive 
refu^'ation  of  the  slanders  uttered  against  him — and  we  would  reply- to  the 
charge  of  '  Treason'  by  looking  the  world  squarely  in  the  face  and  proclaim- 
ing that  that  cause  for  which  such  stainless  gentlemen,  such  incorruptible 
patriots  as  Sidney  Johnston,  and  Stonewall  Jackson,  and  Robert  E.  Lee,  and 
JeSerson  Davis  lived  and  died  cannot  be  treason,  and  their  followers  cannot 
be  traitors. 

"5.  That  we  tender  Mrs.  Davis,  the  noble  woman  who  was  worthy  to 
share  the  home  of  this  great  and  good  man,  and  her  daughters  our  pro- 
foundest  sympathies. 

"6.  That  we  heartily  approve  and  will  bear  our  full  share  in  any  effort  to 
provide  for  the  widow  and  daughter. 

"  7.  That  a  committee  be  appointed  by  our  president  to  attend  the  funeral. 

"J.  William  Jones,  Evan  P.  Howell,  W.  W.  Hulburt,  George  Hillyer,  P. 
M.  B.  Young,  W.  L.  Calhoun." 

There  was  read  to  the  meeting,  and  received  with  loud  applause,  the  fol- 
lowing poem,  which  Mrs.  Davis  made  special  request  should  be  published  in 
the  "Memorial  Volume,"  and  concerning  which  we  have  received  the  same 
request  from  a  number  of  friends  in  different  States : 

OUR   DEAD    CHIEF. 

Come  brothers  Oi  our  Southern  land — 
Members  of  that  historic  band 

Who  grandly  "  wore  the  gray  " — 
Come  let  us  mourn  our  fallen  Chief; 
Let  us  in  sackcloth  and  grief, 

In  sorrow,  weep  to-day. 


6ia  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

A  man  of  wonderous  gifts  is  gone, 
A  man  with  kingly  graces  born 

A  warrior,  statesman— dead 
"  Our  President"  througli  bloody  wars— 
A  martyr  to  a  glorious  cause — 

For  us  his  heart  has  bled. 

He  grandly  lived  a  silent  life 

Since  turning  from  all  whirl  and  strife, 

And  bore  a  breaking  heart. 
The  target  of  a  hundred  pens, 
A  flame  with  hate  their  arrow  sends 

Full  may  a  poisoned  dart. 

There  meets  my  gaze  on  yonder  wall 
A  pictured  group  in  public  hall 

In  days  when  hearts  were  tried— 
A  brilliant  galaxy  they  be, 
Hill,  Jackson,  Stuart,  knightly  Lee, 

Virginia's  sons — her  pride. 

Our  honored  Chief's  among  the  band — 
He  sits,  the  others  round  him  stand, 

A  nobler  conclave  never. 
All  have  been  called,  yes,  one  by  one, 
Leaving  the  grand  old  man  alone. 

Now  he  has  crossed  the  river. 

Come,  brothers,  gather  round  his  bier, 
And  touch  it  with  the  falling  tear 

"Which  wells  from  streaming  eyes ; 
No  fitter  tribute  can  we  bring 
Than  loyal  hearts,  and  souls  whence  spring 
Love,  reaching  to  the  skies. 

Mrs.  J.  William  Jones. 
,  sCt/jMa,  Ga.,  December  6th,  1889. 

This  meeting  of  Confederate  Veterans  appointed  committees  to  raise  funds 
for  the  family,  and  in  a  few  days  a  very  handsome  sum  was  secured. 

A  meeting  of  citizens  was  held  at  the  rooms  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
the  next  day  (the  7th)  to  promote  the  same  object,  and  also  to  raise  a  fund 
for  c  monument.  These  objects  were  pushed  very  vigorously  by  Mr.  Henry 
W.  Grady,  among  others,  and  a  considerable  sum  was  raised  for  each  within 
a  few  days. 


GEORGIA'S  TRIBUTE.  613 

The  following  telegraphic  correspondence  explains  itself: 

Col.  John  A.  Cockrell,  editor  New  York  World,  sent  the  following: 

"  New  Yokk,  December  6, 1889. 
"Henry  W.  Grady,  Constitution: 

"Is  there  any  likelihood  of  anybody  in  the  South  proposing  to  raise 
a  fund  for  the  benefit  of  the  family  of  the  late  Jefferson  Davis?  Would  the 
Constitution  be  likely  to  take  the  matter  up,  and  if  so  what  do  you  think  of 
the  propriety  of  having  the  World  co-operate  here  in  the  North? 

"John  A.  Cockrell." 

To  this  telegram  the  following  reply  was  sent : 

"  John  A.  Cockrell,  care  World,  New  York,  N.  Y. : 

"  I  thank  you  heartily  for  your  dispatch.  Three  or  four  times  in  the 
past  ten  years,  touched  by  Mr.  Davis's  known  poverty,  we  have  started  to 
make  a  fund  for  him,  and  once  had  a  considerable  amount  subscribed  with- 
out his  knowledge;  each  time  he  gratefully  but  firmly  declined,  saying  that 
so  many  widows  and  orphans  of  our  soldiers,  and  so  many  disabled  veterans 
themselves,  were  poor  and  In  need  of  the  necessaries  of  life  that  all  gener- 
ous offerings  had  best  be  directed  to  them  and  to  their  betterments.  He 
has  grown  steadily  poorer,  and,  I  fear,  leaves  his  family  nothing.  I  am  now 
in  communication  with  the  friends  of  his  family,  and  if  permitted  to  raise  a 
fund  the  people  of  the  South  will  spontaneously  give  all  that  is  needed  and 
more.  But  we  shall  advise  you  promptly,  and  any  voluntary  offerings  from 
the  North  would  honor  those  who  gave  and  be  accepted  in  the  South  as 
evidence  that  the  hostility  of  the  North  to  a  man  who  deserved  no  more  of 
censure  than  his  associates,  but  who  went  to  the  grave  carrying  the  whole 
burden  of  responsibility,  is  at  last  allayed, 

'  Henry  W.  Grady." 

The  noble  matron  who  entered  into  the  spirit  of  her  illustrious  husband^ 
who  persistently  refused  all  gratuities — would  not  consent  that  n  oney 
should  be  raised  for  her  benefit  except  for  the  purchase  of  her  lands,  and 
Henry  Grady  threw  himself  into  the  "Davis  Land  Fund  "  scheme  with  an 
enthusiasm  which  would  have  greatly  promoted  its  success.  But  alas  !  the 
silver-tongued  orator  was  soon  silenced,  the  graceful  pen  of  the  great  editor 
was  laid  aside,  and  the  brave,  noble,  spirit  of  this  incomparable  young  man 
was  called  to  join  the  great  Chieftain  whom  he  loved  and  delighted  to  honor 
in  that  bright  land  where  monuments  are  not  needed. 

"Memorial  Day"  was  generally  observ^ed  in  Atlanta,  and,  indeed,  all  over 
Georgia,  in  the  closing  of  the  public  buildings  (city  and  State),  the  suspen- 
sion of  business,  an  immense  procession  headed  by  the  Confederate  Vet- 
erans, and  a  mass-meeting  at  the  State  Capitol.  An  immense  crowd  assem- 
bled at  the  new  and  beautiful  Capitol,  where  Judge  ^Y.  L.  Calhoun  presided 
and  the  venerable  Rev.  Dr.  John  Jones  opened  the  meeting  with  a  fervent 
and  appropriate  prayer. 


614  TSE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

The  speakers  were  Judge  W.  L.  Calhoun,  Mayor  Glenn,  Rev.  Dr.  G.  B. 
Strickler,  Hon.  A.  H.  Cox,  and  Judge  Howard  Van  Epps— all  of  whose 
speeches  were  received  with  rapturous  applause,  and  were  so  appropriate,  in 
such  tone  and  spirit  that  we  had  proposed  publishing  them  in  full  until  our 
printers  warned  us  of  our  narrow  space. 

Mr.  Grady  and  his  friends  were  on  their  way  to  Boston,  where  he  electri- 
fied the  country  Avith  his  great  speech  on  the  negro  problem  and  his  elo- 
quent plea  for  justice  to  the  South.  They  sent  the  following  telegram,  which 
was  read  to  the  meeting: 

"New  York,  December  11,  1889. 
"Judge  W.  L.  Calhoun: 

"The  Georgians  in  Isew  York  en  route  for  Boston  send  you  greeting 
to-day.  Our  hearts  are  with  you  as  you  do  honor  to  the  memory  of  our 
illustrious  dead,  and  he  will  be  mourned  nowhere  to-day  more  sincerely  than 
by  those  of  us  who  journey  amid  a  people  who  were  his  enemies,  but  who 
seem  to  have  lost  their  hostility  in  the  presence  of  death. 

"Evan  P.  Howell,  John  A.  Fitten,  Henry  W.  Grady,  George  Hillyer,  R.D. 
Spalding,  S.  M.  Inman,  T.  D.  Meador,  ^Y.  A.  Hemphill,  W.  B.  Lowe,  J.  W. 
Rankin,  J.  R.  Holliday." 

Atlanta  gave  to  the  "uncrowned  king  of  his  people"  a  grand  ovation 
when  he  was  here  in  1886.  She  gave  to  the  "  crowned  king  of  our  South- 
land " — our  dead  President — the  tribute  of  warm  and  loving  hearts. 

But  the  same  was  true  of  the  cities  and  towns  generally — indeed,  of  all  of 
the  people — of  Georgia. 

In  ^rtr/itsta  the  Confederate  Survivors' Association,  under  their  able  and 
accomplished  president  (Col.  Charles  C.  Jones,  Jr.),  led  the  way  in  paying 
warm  and  appropriate  tribute  to  the  memory  of  their  loved  and  honored 
chief. 

They  promptly  sent  Mrs.  Davis  the  telegram  we  have  already  quoted  and 
adox-ced  the  following  resolutions,  written  by  the  facile  pen  of  Col.  Jones: 

"  Headquarters  Confederate  Survivors'  Association, 
"Augusta,  Ga.,  December  7,  1889. 

"  Whereas  we  have  learned  with  the  deepest  regret  of  the  demise  of  the 
Hon.  Jefferson  Davis,  ex-President  of  the  Southern  Confederacy — 

^^  Resolved,  That  in  his  death  this  Association  mourns  the  departure  of  the 
first  and  most  illustrious  Confederate  enrolled  upon  its  list  of  honorary  mem- 
bers. 

^^  Resolved,  That  in  the  demise  of  Mr.  Davis  this  nation  has  been  deprived 
of  the  living  presence  of  one  who,  although  debarred  the  full  privileges  of 
citizenship,  occupied  in  the  esteem  of  all  brave  men  a  position  transcending 
that  which  may  be  fairly  claimed  by  any  of  his  traducers,  and  second  to 
none  within  the  gift  or  contemplation  of  this  American  Confederatipi;, 


GEORGIA'S  TRIBUTE.  615 

"Resolved,  That  during  a  long  and  arduous  career  he  illustrated  in  a  won- 
derful manner  the  highest  qualities  of  the  citizen,  the  statesman,  the  soldier, 
the  ruler,  and  the  patriot. 

"  Resolved,  That  as  an  officer  of  the  United  States  Army,  as  a  senator  in 
Congress,  as  Secretary  of  War,  as  President  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  as 
a  chained  but  undaunted  captive  in  the  casemate  of  Fortress  Monroe,  as  an 
honored  guest  of  the  great  and  the  noble  beyond  the  seas,  or  as  a  gentle- 
man enjoying  the  dignified  repose  of  his  refined  home  at  Beauvoir,  in 
every  station  he  preserved  inviolate  the  exalted  attributes  of  courage,  of 
integrity,  of  intellectual  and  moral  pre-eminence,  of  hospitality,  of  cour- 
tesy, and  of  fidelity  to  trust  reposed. 

"  Resolved,  That  his  conduct  since  the  conclusion  of  the  war  between  the 
States,  his  manly  defense  of  the  aspirations  and  the.acts  of  the  South  during 
the  Confederate  struggle  for  independence,  his  tender  regard  for  the  tradi- 
tions and  the  honor  of  his  people,  and  his  unsubdued  devotion  to  the  most 
enlightened  conceptions  of  right  and  duty,  have  challenged  and  will  ever 
receive  our  admiration  and  gratitude. 

"  Resolved,  That  his  memory  as  a  man,  as  a  soldier ,^  as  a  statesman,  as  the 
commander-in-chief  of  the  Confederate  army  and  navy,  and  as  a  Southern 
gentleman,  is  precious  to  us  all,  and  will  remain  unclouded  as  the  years 
roll  on, 

"  Resolved,  That  we  regard  with  peculiar  satisfaction  the  fact  that  our  Con- 
federate President  was  permitted  by  a  kind  Providence  to  attain  unto  the 
fullest  measure  of  human  life,  to  spend  the  evening  of  his  days  in  dignified 
retirement  beneath  the  protecting  shadows  of  Southern  oaks,  within  sound 
of  gently  moving  Southern  waters,  and  amid  the  loves  of  Southern  hearts  ; 
and,  at  the  last,  to  render  back  his  brave  spirit  to  the  God  who  gave  it,  sur- 
rounded by  devoted  friends  and  amid  the  comforts  of  the  great  metropolis 
of  the  South. 

"  Resolved,  That  no  token  of  affection  can  be  too  profuse,  no  mark  of 
respect  too  emphatic,  no  rendition  of  honor  too  conspicuous,  no  funeral 
tribute  too  imposing  for  this  uncrowned  king  of  Southern  hearts. 

''  Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  transmitted  by  our  secre- 
tary to  the  widow  of  the  illustrious  dead  with  every  assurance  of  our  pro- 
found and  most  respectful  sympathy." 

On  Memorial  day  business  was  suspended,  the  houses  were  draped,  min- 
ute guns  were  fired,  there  was  a  large  procession,  and  an  immense  meeting 
at  which  Bishop  Weed  read  the  funeral  service,  and  Rev.  (General)  C.  A- 
Evans  made  an  appropriate  and  fervent  prayer. 

The  orator  of  the  occasion  was  Col.  Charles  C.  Jones,  Jr.,  whose  graceful 
pen  and  eloquent  voice  has  done  so  much  to  vindicate  the  truth  of  Confeder- 
ate history  and  the  name  and  fame  of  our  leaders  and  people.  The  oration 
was  worthy  of  the  orator  and  the  theme,  and  we  regret  that  we  can  find 
room  for  only  brief  extracts. 


616  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

He  begun  by  saying: 
"  Ladies  and  genUemen : 

"  In  yielding  to  the  solicitation  of  my  brethren  of  the  Confederate 
Survivors'  Association  to  address  you  on  this  memorial  occasion,  I  was 
appalled  at  the  shortness  of  the  period  allotted  for  preparation,  and  at  the 
magnitude  of  the  theme  suggested  for  our  contemplation.  I  am  painfully 
aware  that  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances  in  any  attempt  to  re- 
mind you  of  the  virtues  and  the  services  of  the  illustrious  dead  in  whose 
honor  we  are  assembled,  everything  I  could  say  would  be  anticipated  by 
your  thoughts,  and  I  would  suffer  the  reproach  of  falling  far  below  them. 
Nevertheless,  answering  the  call  of  an  association  whose  lightest  request  is 
to  me  a  command,  with  all  the  traditions  of  a  consecrated  past  thrilling 
through  my  veins,  and  cherishing  an  admiration  most  profound  for  the  char- 
acter and  acts  of  him  who  but  yesterday  was  the  noblest  living  embodiment  of 
Confederate  manhood,  I  respond,  as  best  I  may,  to  the  needs  of  this  occa- 
sion, craving  your  generous  indulgence  if  I  fulfill  not  the  expectation  of  the 
hour. 

"When  Wilkie  was  in  the  Escurial  studying  those  famous  pictures  which 
have  so  long  attracted  the  notice  of  all  lovers  of  art,  an  old  Jeronymite  said 
to  him  "  I  have  sat  daily  in  sight  of  those  paintings  for  nearly  four  score 
years.  During  that  time  all  who  were  more  aged  than  myself  have  passed 
away.  My  contemporaries  are  gone.  Many  younger  than  myself  are  in 
their  graves;  and  still  the  figures  upon  those  canvasses  remain  unchanged. 
I  look  at  them  until  I  sometimes  think  they  are  the  realities  and  we  but  the 
shadows.' 

"The  battle  scenes  which  the  heroes  of  the  South  have  painted;  the 
memories  which  Confederate  valor,  loyalty  and  endurance  have  bequeathed ; 
the  blessed  recollections  which  the  pious  labors,  the  saintly  ministrations, 
and  the  more  than  Spartan  inspiration  of  the  women  of  the  Eevolution 
have  embalmed,  these  will  dignify  for  all  time  the  annals  of  the  civilized 
world;  but  the  actors  in  that  memorable  crisis,  they — the  shadows — will 
pass  away.  Johnston,  the  Bayard  of  the  South;  Jackson,  our  military 
meteor,  streaming  upward  and  onward  in  an  unbroken  track  of  light  and 
ascending  to  the  skies  in  the  zenith  of  his  fame;  Lee,  the  most  stainless  of 
earthly  commanders,  and,  except  in  fortune,  the  greatest,  and  multitudes  of 
their  companion  in  arms  have  already  gone 

" '  To  where  beyond  these  voices  there  is  peace.' 

"But  yesterday  Jefferson  Davis,  the  commander  of  them  all,  the  most  dis- 
tinguished representative  of  a  cause  which  electrified  the  civilized  world  by 
the  grandeur  of  its  sacrifices,  the  dignitj'  and  rectitude  of  its  aims,  the  nobil- 
ity of  its  pursuit,  and  the  magnitude  and  brilliancy  of  the  deeds  performed 
in  its  support,  entered  into  rest.  The  President  of  the  dead  Confederacy 
lies  in  state  in  the  metropolis  of  the  South  and  every  Southern  common- 


GEOEQIA'S  TRIBUTE.  617 

"Wealth  is  clothed  in  the  habiliments  of  mourning.  At  this  moment, 
throughout  the  wide  borders  of  this  Southern  land,  there  is  not  a  village  or 
a  hamlet  Avhich  bears  not  the  tokens  of  sorrow.  By  common  consent  the 
entire  region  consecrates  this  hour  to  the  observance  of  funeral  ceremonies 
in  honor  of  our  departed  chief.  General  and  heartfelt  grief  pervades  the 
whole  territory  once  claimed  by  the  Confederacy.  Was  sorrow  so  spontane- 
ous, so  genuine,  so  unselfish,  so  universal,  ever  known  in  the  history  of  com- 
munity and  nation— sorrow  at  the  departure  of  one  who  long  ago  refrained 
from  a  participation  in  public  affairs,  who  had  no  pecuniary  or  political  lega- 
cies to  bequeath,  and  whose  supreme  blessings  were  utterly  devoid  of  utilita- 
rian advantage?  This  spectacle,  grand,  pathetic  and  unique,  is  not  incapa- 
ble of  explanation  or  devoid  of  special  signifi(!ance.  * 

"  Within  that  coffin  in  New  Orleans,  in  silent  majesty,  reposes  all  that 
was  mortal  of  him  whom  impartial  history  will  designate  as  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  men  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Around  his  bier,  in  profound 
respect  and  loving  veneration,  are  assembled  the  trustworthy  representatives 
of  the  South.  Encircling  that  venerable  and  uncrowaied  head  are  memo- 
ries of  valor,  of  knightly  courtesy,  of  intellectual,  moral  and  political  pre- 
eminence, of  high  endeavor  and  of  heroic  martyrdom.  In  that  dignified 
form — so  calm,  so  cold  in  the  embrace  of  death — we  recognized  the  highest 
type  of  the  Southern  gentleman.  In  his  person,  carriage,  cultivated  address 
and  superior  endowments,  we  hail  the  culmination  of  our  patriarchial  civi- 
lization. In  him  was  personified  all  that  was  highest,  truest,  grandest,  alike 
in  the  hour  of  triumph  and  in  the  day  of  defeat.  He  was  the  chosen  head 
and  the  prime  exponent  of  the  aspirations  and  the  heroism  of  the  Southern 
Confederacy.  As  such  his  people  looked  up  to  and  rallied  around  him  in 
the  period  of  proud  endeavor,  and  as  such  they  still  saluted  him  amid  the 
gloom  of  disappointment.  As  we  approach  that  revered  form  and  render 
signal  tribute  at  the  grave  of  our  dead  President,  every  recollection  of  a 
glorious  past  is  revived,  and  our  souls  are  filled  with  memories  over  which 
ttie  ' iniquity  of  oblivion '  should  never  be  allowed  blindly  to 'scatter  her 
poppy.'  It  is  a  great  privilege,  my  friends,  to  render  honor  to  this  illustri- 
ous man.  Ours  be  the  mission  to  guard  well  his  memory,  accepting  it  in  the 
present  and  commending  it  to  the  future  as  redolent  of  manhood  most 
exalted,  of  virtues  varied  and  most  admirable." 

He  then  gave  a  very  vivid  sketch  of  the  life  and  a  faithful  portrayal  of 
the  character  of  Mr.  Davis,  ably  defending  him  from  the  charge  of  "trea- 
son," and  concluded  by  saying : 

"In  his  quiet  home  at  Beauvoir,  ennobled  by  the  presence  of  the  live- 
oak — that  monarch  of  the  Southern  forest— beautified  by  the  queenly  mag- 
nolia-grandiflora,  redolent  of  the  perfumes  of  a  semi-tropical  region,  fanned 
by  the  soft  breezes  from  the  Gulf,  and  cheered  by  exhibitions  of  respect, 
aflfection,  and  veneration  most  sincei'e,  President  Davis  passed  the  evening 


618  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

of  his  eventful  life.  Since  the  hush  of  that  great  storm  which  convulsed 
this  land,  he  has  borne  himself  with  a  dignity  and  a  composure,  with  a  fidel- 
ity to  Confederate  traditions,  with  a  just  observance  of  the  proprieties  of  the 
situation,  and  witli  an  exalted  manhood  worthy  of  all  admiration. 

"  Conspicuous  for  liis  gallantry  and  ability  as  a  military  leader — promi- 
nent as  a  Federal  Secretary  of  War — as  a  senator  and  stateman  renowned 
in  the  political  annals  of  these  United  States — illustrious  for  all  time  as  the 
President  of  a  nation  which,  although  maintaining  its  existence  for  only  a 
brief  space,  bequeathed  glorious  names,  notable  events,  and  proud  memo- 
ries which  will  survive  the  flood  of  years — most  active,  intelligent,  and  suc- 
cessful in  vindicating  the  aims,  the  impulses,  the  rights  and  the  conduct  of 
the  Southern  people  during  their  phenomenal  struggle  for  independence — 
his  reputation  abides  unclouded  by  defeat,  unimpaired  by  the  mutations  of 
fortune  and  the  shadows  of  disappointment. 

"Surely  no  token  of  affection  can  be  too  profuse— no  mark  of  respect  too 
emphatic — no  rendition  of  honor  too  conspicuous — no  funeral  tribute  too 
imposing  for  this  dead  chieftain  of  the  South.    Dead,  did  I  say  ? 

'  To  lire  in  hearts  we  leave  behind, 
Is  not  to  die.' 

"  Even  now  his  name  is  upon  every  Southern  lii^,  and  his  memory 
enshrined  in  every  Southern  heart. 

"Even  now,  all  through  this  brave  Southland  funeral  bells  are  tolling  his 
requiem.  The  bravest  and  the  knightliest  are  reverently  bearing  his  pre- 
cious body  to  the  tomb.  Benedictions,  invoked  by  lips  touched  with  a  live 
coal  from  off  the  altar,  are  descending  like  the  dew  of  Hermon.  Pious 
drops  bedew  the  cheeks  of  noble  women,  and  the  heads  of  stalwart  men  are 
bowed  in  grief.    The  hour  is  holy,  and  the  occasion  most  privileged. 

"In  bidding  farewell  to  our  President,  we  rejoice,  that  by  a  kind  Provi- 
dence, it  was  granted  unto  him  to  spend  in  our  midst 

" '  His  twelve  long  hours 
Bright  to  the  edge  of  darkness  :  then  the  ealm 
Repose  of  twilight — and  a  crown  of  stars.'" 

"  AVe  rejoice  that  he  was  permitted  to  render  back  his  great  spirit  into  the 
hands  of  the  God  who  gave  it,  surrounded  by  devoted  friends,  accompanied 
by  the  loves  of  Southern  hearts,  and  amid  the  comforts  of  the  metropolis  of 
the  South.  We  rejoice  that  having  attained  unto  the  full  measure  of  human 
life  and  enjoyed  the  highest  honors  which  Southern  hands  could  offer — all 
mundane  cares  overpast — he  has,  as  we  confidently  believe,  serenely  entered 
into  that  Upper  Realm  where  there  are  'trees  of  unfading  lovelinessf 
pavements  of  emerald,  canopies  of  brightest  radiance,  gardens  of  deep  and 
tranquil  security,  palaces  of  proud  and  stately  decoration,  and  a  city  of 
lofty  pinnacles  through  which  there  unceasingly  flows  the  river  of  gladness, 
and  wheie  jubilee  is  ever  rung  with  the  concord  of  seraphic  voices.'" 


GEORGIA'S  TRIBUTE.  619 

Macon,  where  he  had  last  appeared  in  public,  and  had  received  so  enthusi- 
astic an  ovation,  brought  loving  tribute  to  his  memory.  The  Confederate 
Veterans,  the  city  authorities,  the  citizens  generally,  united  in  honoring 
him. 

Memorial  Day  an  immense  meeting  was  held  in  the  Academy  of  !Music, 
where  appropriate  and  eloquent  speeches  were  made  by  Capt.  John  C. 
Rutherford,  Hon.  N.  E.  Harris,  Hon.  Dupont  Guerry,  and  3Ir.  F.  H.  Richard- 
son. "We  have  already  quoted  the  telegram  sent  by  Capt.  R.  E.  Park,  offer- 
ing a  place  of  burial,  and  may  add  that  the  whole  people  united  in  this 
oflfer,  as  well  as  in  a  very  liberal  contribution  to  the  "Davis  Fund." 

The  visit  of  Mr.  Davis  to  Macon  two  years  ago  gave  the  people  of  that 
city  a  peculiar  personal  interest  in  him,  and  no  where  were  there  more 
loving  tributes  to  his  memory.  The  Macon  Telegraph  thus  begun  its  beauti- 
ful editorial  announcement  of  his  death : 

"In  the  opening  hour  of  yesterday,  at  New  Orleans,  closed  the  career  of 
one  of  the  most  notable  men  born  on  this  continent — a  man  loved  and 
hated  as  few  have  been.  Of  this  love  and  hate  it  can  be  truthfully  said 
that  the  first  was  the  fitting  reward  of  the  great  qualities  of  mind  and 
character  which  were  illustrated  in  INIr.  Davis's  whole  life.  His  people  loved 
him  for  his  faithfulness,  his  unbending  courage,  his  flawless  integrity,  his 
unselfish  devotion  to  their  interests,  his  unswerving  loyalty  to  truth  and 
honor.  They  were  proud  of  the  man  whose  powers  of  mind  made  him 
foremost  in  the  councils  of  the  nation  and  of  the  accomplished  soldier  whose 
high  qualities  reflected  glory  on  the  whole  people  from  the  battle-fields  of 
Mexico ;  but  they  were  prouder  still  of  the  citizen  who  during  his  fourscore 
years  filled  all  the  varied  stations  of  public  emploj^ment  the  American  citi- 
zen can  occupy,  surrounded  always  by  the  bitterest  enemies,  j'et  never  was 
the  integrity  of  his  character  or  the  purity  of  his  motives  questioned.  He 
was  loved  and  honored  because  he  was  entirely  worthy  of  the  admiration 
of  his  fellowmen,  and  because  he  served  millions  of  them." 

The  Confederate  Veterans,  here,  as  elsewhere,  led  in  loving  tribute  to 
their  great  commander,  and  at  a  meeting  of  which  Commander  C.  M.  Wiley 
was  chairman,  and  Captain  R.  E.  Park  secretary,  passed  appropriate  and 
feeling  resolutions,  after  stirring  speeches  by  Commander  Wiley,  Major 
John  B.  Cobb,  Mr.  Ben.  C.  Smith  and  Captain  R.  E.  Park. 

The  resolutions  earnestly  begged  Mrs.  Davis  to  select  Macon  as  the  place 
of  interment,  and  Captain  Park  sent  tlie  telegram  we  have  already  quoted. 

At  the  churches  generally  in  Macon  api^ropriate  allusion  was  made  on  the 
Sunday  after  his  death  to  our  dead  President. 

Memorial  Day  was  observed  by  suspension  of  business,  draping  of  houses, 
firing  of  minute  guns,  the  tolling  of  bel's,  and  a  monster  mass-meeting  at 
the  Academy  of  Music,  which  was  opened  with  prayer  by  Rev.  Dr.  E.  W. 
Warren,  and  where  there  were  appropriate  and  stirring  speeches  by  Hon. 


620  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Cliflford  Anderson,  Captain  J.  C.  Eutherford,  Hon.  N.  E.  Harris,  Hon. 
Dupont  Gurrey,  and  Colonel  F.  H.  Richardson.  Macon  contributed  over 
four  thousand  dollars  to  the  "  Davis  Fund." 

The  Wesleyan  Christian  Advocate,  published  at  INIacon,  said  of  him  in  an 
elaborate  editorial : 

"A  soldier  of  renown,  a  great  statesman,  a  pure  patriot,  and  the  chosen 
head  of  a  cause  dear  to  every  Southern  heart,  he  was  much  admired  and 
loved  while  living,  and  now  that  he  is  dead  is  mourned  by  millions  of 
Southern  people,  and  by  men  of  great  minds  everywhere." 

Savannah  was  not  behind  her  sister  cities  in  her  tender,  loving  tribute  to 
one  to  whom  she  gave  so  enthusiastic  an  ovation  when  he  visited  her  in 
1886.  The  Confederate  veterans  and  the  citizens  generally,  united  in 
making  "  Memorial  Day"  memorable  in  the  history  of  Savannah. 

In  the  Lutheran  Church  Rev.  Dr.  W.  S.  Bowman,  Rev.  Dr.  I.  S.  K.  Axson, 
Rev.  R.  Q.  Way,  Rev.  Dr.  J.  E.  L.  Holmes,  Rev.  W.  S.  Royal,  Rev.  J.  AV. 
Gilmore  and  Rev.  Richard  Webb  participated  in  the  conduct  of  the  services- 
Dr.  J.  E.  L.  Holmes,  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  recalled  some  deeply  inter- 
esting reminiscences  of  Mr.  Davis  as  he  knew  him  during  the  war,  and  Dr. 
W.  S.  Bowman,  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  made  an  appropriate  address. 

Eloquent  eulogies  were  delivered  at  St  John's  Church  by  Rev.  Mr.  Strong, 
and  at  Christ  Church  by  Rev.  Rob.  White. 

The  Confederate  Veterans  met  in  the  hall  of  the  Chatham  Artillery,  and 
were  called  to  order  by  Gen.  McLaws,  who  stated  the  object  of  the  meeting 
in  a  few  words  fitly  chosen. 

General  Henry  R.  Jackson  then  addressed  the  meeting  and  offered  the 
resolutions.    His  remarks  were  frequently  interrupted  with  applause. 
"Mr.  Chairman: 

"  Before  reading  the  resolutions  which  the  committee  submit  to  the  meet- 
ing, I  cannot  withhold  a  brief  utterance. 

"The  London  Times,  called  by  some  the  Tiers  Etat,  and  by  others  the 
Thunderer'  of  England,  because  of  its  w^orld-wide  journalistic  supremacy, 
announced  to  its  readers  that  the  message  of  the  Provisional  President  to 
the  Provisional  Congress  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America  was  the 
ablest  State  paper  that  had  ever  e4nanated  from  the  Western  Hemisphere. 
In  expression  strong  and  chaste — how  fev/  the  tongues  or  pens  that  have 
ever  used  the  English  language  with  happier  effect  than  did  that  of  Jeffer- 
son Davis?  Clear  and  simple,  brief  but  exhaustive,  embracing,  as  the  acorn 
embraces  the  oak,  all  the  principles  of  life  which  must  infallibly  grow  i:i 
the  governmental  civilization  of  this  entire  continent,  behold  the  Master's 
work  which  the  mighty  organ  of  British  intellect  commended  to  tlio 
applaure  of  mankind!  Thanks  be  to  the  providence  of  God,  the  states- 
man's  brain,  which  knew  how  thus  to  present  cardinal  truths,  was  coupled 
with,  the  hero's  soul  which  did  >roT  know  how  to  surrender,  or  to  qualify,  or 


622  TITB  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

to  ignore  them.  This  combination,  in  startling  contrast  with  the  times  in 
which  he  lived,  surviving,  as  he  did,  all  other  great  representative  men,  out- 
speaking these  vivifying  truths,  came  to  make  him  their  one  breathing 
embodiment.  Then  was  exhibited  to  the  world,  and  for  all  its  coming  gen- 
erations, a  grand  spectacle,  which  had  no  precedent  in  all  its  past  history. 
In  the  lapse  of  the  dull,  degenerate  days  which  followed,  when  the  buzz  of 
the  insect  tribes  monopolized  the  tainted  air,  as  the  physical  man  grew  thin- 
ner and  weaker,  the  moral  man  was  ever  growing  stronger,  broader,  taller, 
until,  at  the  close,  he  stood  in  a  lofty  solitude,  as  absolute  in  appearance,  as, 
in  reality,  it  was  sublime.  '  Like  some  tall  cliff,'  planted  in  granite,  solid, 
pure,  unadulterated,  he  did  indeed 'swell  from  the  vale';  indeed,  indeed, 
he  midway  left  the  rolling  cloud,  the  darkness  and  the  storm;  indeed, 
.  indeed,  indeed, '  eternal  sunshine '  will '  settle  on  his  head.'  For  this,  the 
lofty  part  of  him,  thanks  again  be  paid  to  the  providence  of  God!  cannot 
die.  There  still  it  stands — there  shall  it  stand  forever — a  beacon,  snowy 
white,  to  guide  the  struggling  patriot  of  this  entire  hemisphere  of  America, 
South  as  well  as  North,  even  as  Orizaba,  the  loneliest  and  the  loveliest  of  all 
he  snow-capt  mountains  when  the  sunlight  streams  through  the  rack  of 
scudding  clouds,  guides  the  storm-tost  mariner  on  her  domestic  sea." 

The  following  resolutions  were  unanimously  and  enthusiastically  adopted 

"The  death  of  Jefferson  Davis  is  an  event  of  solemn  import. 

"  For  long  years — embracing  a  period  of  unexampled  turmoil  and  strife, 
of  gigantic  effort  and  patriotic  endeavor,  of  bright  hope  and  unavailing 
despair,  of  glorious  victory  and  bitter  defeat — he  was  the  exponent  of  this 
Southern  land  and  of  its  proud  people.  And  when  the  end  came — when 
failure  settled  upon  the  banners  of  the  Confederacy  and  its  brave  armies 
retired  from  the  field — still  was  he  our  rej^resentative — in  suffering. 

"In  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  exalted  station,  who  will  deny  that 
he  brought  every  power  with  which  the  Almighty  had  endowed  him — the 
clear  intellect,  the  indomitable  will,  the  inflexible  purpose  to  lead  so  long  as 
there  was  one  to  follow,  the  loving  heart  whose  passionate  attachment  to 
the  land  of  his  birth,  ceased  only  with  its  last  pulsation? 

"It  was  this  that  gave  him  his  great  hold  upon  the  Southern  people — lie 
loved  us.  And  so  as  heart  responds  to  heart,  we  loved  him ;  and  now  that 
the  venerable  form  is  forever  still,  now  that  the  *  good  gray  head '  is  laid 
upon  its  final  pillow,  his  memory  shall  be  fragrant  to  us  and  to  our  children 
after  us. 

"  One  by  one  the  links  that  bind  us  to  the  eventful  past  are  being  broken. 
One  by  one  the  comrades  who  stood  by  our  sides  in  those  stormy  days  have 
gone  to  rest.  Again  and  again  we  have  closed  our  ranks  to  fill  the  gaps,  as 
in  the  heat  of  battle.  But  now! — the  summons  comes  to  the  chief,  and  it  is 
as  though  a  great  curtain  had  fallen  between  us  and  the  days  that  are  gone. 

"  It  is  meet  at  such  a  juncture  that  the  Confederate  Veterans'  Association 
of  Savannah  should  give  expression  to  the  feelings  evoked  by  the  occasion  ; 
therefore,  be  it 


(GEORGIA'S  TRIBUTE.  628 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  Jefferson  Davis,  ex-President  of  the  Con- 
federate States  of  America,  there  is  a  sense  of  personal  bereavement  to  each 
member  of  this  Association. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  memory  of  his  patriotic  services  to  the  Southern  peo- 
ple, and  of  the  high  virtues  that  marked  liis  private  cliaracter,sliall  ever  be 
cherished  by  us  as  an  incentive  to  unselfishness  in  action  and  purity  of  life. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  extend  to  the  widow  of  President  Davis  and  to  all  the 
members  of  his  fomily  the  affectionate  sympathy  of  honest  hearts.  May 
the  father  of  all  mercies  comfort  and  sustain  them  in  this  hour  of  bereave- 
ment and  anguish 

"Resolved,  That  it  will  ever  be  a  source  of  grateful  thanksgiving  to  every 
Southern  heart  that  the  declining  years  of  our  venerable  cliief  were  passed 
in  the  peaceful  quiet  of  his  Mississippi  home ;  that  he  outlived  the  pain  of 
failure,  and  that  it  was  his  happy  privilege  to  learn  from  actual  demonstra- 
tion that  the  people  for  whom  he  had  done  so  much,  loved  and  honored  him 
to  the  last. 

"  Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  to  Mrs.  Davis,  and  also 
that  they  be  pubHshed  in  the  journals  of  the  city." 

Then  followed  an  immense  procession  of  veterans,  military,  and  citizens 
generally  to  the  Confederate  monument  where  General  A.  R.  Lawton   (the 
gallant  soldier  and  able  Quartermaster-General  of  the  Confederacy)  called  the 
vast  assemblage  to  order  by  saying: 
"  Fellovj  Citizens, 

"  I  respectfully  ask  your  silent  attention.  At  this  solemn  hour,  and 
in  the  shadow  of  this  monument — the  burial  hour  of  our  beloved  Confed- 
erate Chief,  and  the  monument  erected  to  the  Confederate  dead — our 
thoughts,  my  friends  and  comrades,  are  instinctively  turned  to  prayer — the 
subject  and  the  scene  are  to  us  so  touching  that  nothing  can  so  solace  as  the 
voice  of  prayer." 

Eev.  Mr.  Strong  led  in  a  fervent  and  appropriate  prayer,  and  pronounced 
the  benediction,  and  the  vast  assemblage  dispersed. 

"We  cannot  give  inore  space  to  Georgians  tribute,  and  can  only  say  that 
appropriate  memorial  exercises  were  held  atThomasville,Talbotton,  Dublin, 
Calhoun,  Cartersville,  Albany,  Newnan,  Eatonton,  Decatur,  Douglasville, 
Rome,  (where  the  soldier-preacher.  Rev.  Dr.  R.  B.  lieadden,  made  an  elo- 
quent address)  Waycross,  Quitman,  "Washington,  Milledgeville,  Americus, 
Athens,  Harlem,  Griffin,  ]Madison,  Tennille,  Elberton,  Covington,  West  Point, 
(where  Rev.  J.  Howard  Carpenter  composed  an  ode  to  be  sung  on  the  occa- 
sion and  made  a  stirring  speech),  Carrollton,  Saundersville,  Sparta,  Lawrence- 
ville,  Fort  Valley,  Darien,Amoskeag,  Jonesboro',  McDonough,  Gainesville, 
Perry,  La  Grange,  Clinton,  Columbus,  Dalton,  Fort  Gaines,  Cordele,  Haw- 
kinsville,  and  well  nigh  every  other  town  and  hamlet  in  the  State.  And 
at  all  of  these  points  contributions  were  made  for  the  Davis  fund. 


624  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 


KENTUCKY  S  TRIBUTE. 

It  -was  to  be  expected  that  the  grand  old  State  which  gave  birth  to  Jeffer- 
son Davis  would  not  be  behind  in  paying  tribute  to  his  memory,  and  in  thia 
there  was  no  disappointment. 

We  have  already  given  the  proclamation  of  Kentucky's  Soldier-Gover- 
nor, and  have  spoken  of  her  delegation  at  the  funeral  in  New  Orleans. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  Louisville  Eev.  Dr.  John  A.  Broadus,  President  of 
the  Southern  Baptist  Theological  Seminary,  presented  the  following  reso- 
lutions : 

"  Resolved,  That  among  the  eminent  public  men  of  the  world  in  the  gen- 
eration just  closing,  Jefferson  Davis  must  always  hold  a  conspicuous  place  as 
the  chosen  leader  of  a  great  people  in  one  of  the  mightiest  wai'S  known  to 
history,  and  as  a  man  of  great  and  varied  abilities,  of  deep-rooted  and  ever 
unshaken  convictions,  of  lofty  patriotism  in  accordance  with  these  convic- 
tions, of  vast  political  knowledge  and  diversified  experience,  and  of  unim- 
peachable integrity  and  honor. 

"Resolved,  That,  while  the  leader  in  a  great  and  unsuccessful  struggle  is 
sure  to  be  severely  criticised,  we  to-day  look  back  upon  the  life-long  career 
and  high  character  of  the  Confederate  President  with  hearty  admiration, 
and  we  trust  that  among  all  surviving  Confederates  the  brotherhood  based 
on  great  memories  will  be  universal  and  perpetual. 

"Resolved,  That  we  delight  to  observe  how  fast  the  animosities  of  the  war 
have  been  fading  away,  and  we  are  persuaded  that  it  cannot  be  long  before 
the  great  civil  and  military  leaders  on  both  sides  will  be  contemplated  with 
something  of  common  pride  as  illustrious  Americans. 

"  Resolved,  That  Kentucky  recognizes  in  Jefferson  Davis  one  of  that  long 
list  of  men  born  on  her  soil  who  have  made  a  distinguished  career  in  other 
States,  and  wishes  to  stand  with  INIississippi  among  the  chief  mourners  at 
his  grave. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  regard  Mr.  Davis's  State  papers  and  his  work  on  the 
*  Else  and  Fall  of  the  Confederate  Government'  as  admirable  for  their  politi- 
cal insight  and  their  consummate  excellence  of  style,  and  as  full  of  histori- 
cal instruction  even  to  those  who  differ  most  widely  from  his  characteristic 
opinions. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  think  with  pathetic  interest  of  his  declining  years, 
with  their  quiet  friendships  and  gentle  courtesies  and  Christian  consola- 
tions, and  of  his  calm  and  peaceful  end." 

Judge  H.  W.  Bruce,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Confederate  Congress  and 
a  friend  of  Mr.  Davis,  being  called  out,  made  an  admirable  speech,  in  which, 
after  alluding  to  his  relations  to  Mr.  Davis  and  the  circumstances  of  his 
inauguration  in  Eichmond,  February  22,  1862,  he  said : 

"  I  spent  most  of  the  time  during  the  war  in  Eichmond,  not  alone  while 
Congress  was  in  session,  but  during  the  vacations  also.    I  was  a  frequent 


KENTUCKY'S  TRIBUTE.  B2o 

visitor  at  President  Davis's  house,  and,  as  were  all  others,  a  welcome  visitor. 
He  was  the  most  accessible  and  approachable  of  men  ;  in  AVestern  phrase, 
the  latch-string  of  his  home  always  hung  out.  He  was  the  most  democratic 
of  Presidents.  No  citizen  who  once  called  on  him  ever  hesitated  to  repeat 
the  visit.  No  farmer  in  Kentucky  has  simpler  manners  than  Jefferson 
Davis  had;  and, at  the  same  time,  no  man  in  any  st-ation  of  life  ever  had 
manners  more  graceful  and  refined.  I  never  met  a  more  affable  man  nor  a 
more  interesting  talker.  A  man  of  thorough  scholarship,  of  fullness  of 
knowledge,  of  vast  and  varied  experience,  he  was  thoroughly  at  home,  and 
conversed  entertainingly  and  instructively  on  any  subject.  His  patriotism 
was  pure  and  intense.  He  had  before  the  war  rendered  valuable  and  di^-- 
tinguished  services  to  the  United  States  both  in  military  and  civil  capaci- 
ties. He  had  fought  for  his  country  in  two  wars  ;  he  had  legislated  far  it 
in  both  houses  of  Congress,  and  had  counseled  it  in  Cabinet  at  the  head  of 
the  "War  Department.  He  brought  to  the  discharge  of  his  duties  as  Presi- 
dent of  the  Confederate  States  unusual  native  ability,  thorough  scholarship, 
vast  and  varied  experience  in  affairs,  unimpeachable  integrity,  the  purest 
and  most  elevated  patriotism,  and  a  courage  that  knew  no  fear.  Failure  was 
not  his  fault.  He  had  implicit  confidence  in  the  people.  He  believed  the 
people  of  each  State  should  rule  its  own  affairs  ;  in  other  words,  he  believed 
in  the  people  of  each  State  governing  themselves  without  dictation  or  even 
interference  from  the  people  of  other  States  or  countries.  It  was  the  viola- 
tion of  this  principle,  you  know,  that  brought  on  the  war.  The  Southern 
States  refused  to  yield  to  such  dictation  and  interference  with  their  domes- 
tic affairs.  "War  was  waged  against  them  in  consequence.  They  resisted. 
The  world,  not  understanding  the  issue,  sided  against  them,  and  they  were 
defeated.  States'  rights  seemed  to  go  down  in  this  defeat.  But  our  great 
leader  said  the  cause  was  not  lost.  It  will  rise  again.  The  people  of  this 
great  country  cannot  afford  to  surrender  the  rights  of  the  States,  and  will 
not  do  so  permanently.  The  assertion  of  those  rights  hereafter,  however, 
will  not  be  impeded  by  the  incubus  of  slavery  as  it  was  in  lS60-'5,  and  the 
principle  for  which  our  hero  and  chief  led  the  hosts  of  the  Confederacy  will 
ultimately  prevail. 

"  Small  men  of  sectional  prejudices  and  bitter  partisanship,  narrow  men 
who  are  not  blessed  with  a  spirit  sufficiently  catholic  to  consider  and  love 
their  whole  country,  will  not  acknowledge  the  patriotism  and  greatness,  and 
some  will  attempt  to  sullj'  the  fame  of  Jefferson  Davis.  But  impartial  his- 
tory, if  not  to-day,  hereafter  will  do  him  justice;  and  when  impartial  his- 
tory shall  have  been  written  Confederates  will  not  be  ashamed  of  their 
President. 

"I  was  in  St.  Paul's  Church,  Eichmond,  Sunday  morning,  that  sad  2d  day 
of  April,  1865,  and  saw  the  messenger  go  to  President  Davis's  pew,  and  saw 
him  get  up  and  withdraw  from  the  worshiping  congregation.    I  felt  instantly 


626  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  TIME. 

that  something  was  wrong.  I  also  withdrew,  and  soon  after  leaving  the 
church  learned  the  sad  determination  that  Eichmond  must  be  evacuated. 
I  went  out  that  night  with  the  Government.  The  last  point  at  which  I  saw 
the  President  was  at  Greensboro',  N.  C.  I  have  seldom  seen  him  since  the 
war.  The  last  time  was  at  the  Gait  House,  in  this  city,  only  three  or  four 
years  since,  when  he  was  as  erect  in  person,  and  mentally  as  bright  and 
clear,  it  seemed  to  me,  asAvhenI  first  met  him  more  than  twenty  years 
before.  On  that  occasion  he  described  with  the  clearness  and  accuracy  of 
the  able  lawyer  a  great  argument  he  had  heard  his  old  friend  and  Cabinet 
counsellor,  Judah  P.  Benjamin,  make  in  an  English  court  on  an  abstruse 
question  of  maratime  law.  I  then  expected,  notwithstanding  his  advanced 
age,  that  he  would  remain  with  us  many  years  longer.  But  his  day  has 
come,  and  at  a  ripe  old  age  he  has  left  us ;  and  this  Southland  and  the 
enlightened  and  unprejudiced  portions  of  the  civilized  world  mourn  the 
loss  of  a  brave  soldier,  an  able  commander,  a  wise  statesman,  a  pure  Chris- 
tian, and  a  colossal  figure  of  this  age." 

Appropriate  and  eloquent  speeches  were  also  made  by  Col.  J.  Stoddard 
Johnston,  Major  E.  H.  McDonald,  Gen.  Thomas  H.  Taylor,  and  Col.  B.  H. 
Young,  and  the  Confederate  Association  voted  to  raise  at  least  §100,000,  of 
which  it  pledged  itself  for  §10,000,  for  the  "Davis  Fund,"  and  sent  the  tele- 
gram we  have  already  quoted. 

Col.  J.  Stoddard  Johnston  (a  nephew  of  the  laroented  Albert  Sidney  John- 
ston) closed  his  speech  by  saying: 

"  The  bugbear  of  alarm  which  was  manifested  for  a  long  time  after  the 
war  whenever  INIr.  Davis  would  give  expression  to  his  faith  that  the  cause 
was  not  lost,  was  for  a  long  time  sought  to  be  made  a  pretext  for  a  belief 
that  he  meant  that  in  gome  other  form  the  struggle  for  the  establishment  of 
the  Southern  Confederacy  would  be  renewed.  But  no  man  ever  was  further 
from  such  an  idea.  He  believed  that  the  blood  spilled  in  behalf  of  this 
great  cause  had  not  been  spilled  in  vain,  and  that  while  success  had  not 
crowned  the  efl'orts  of  those  who,  against  such  great  odds,  had  dared  to 
make  the  issue,  yet  the  world  would  in  time  come  to  eliminate  prejudice 
from  reason  and  awake  to  a  realization  of  the  true  idea  lying  at  the  founda- 
tion of  a  struggle  which  evoked  so  much  of  heroism  and  self-sacrifice.  And 
so  it  was  that  he  came  to  see  that  under  the  New  Union,  as  it  is,  the  spirit 
of  liberty,  as  he  idealized  it,  has  had  its  triumph,  and  that  his  great  cause 
finds  in  the  firmer  tenacity  with  which  the  States  maintain  their  right  oi' 
self-government,  and  the  greater  assurances  that  they  will  remain  free  from 
unconstitutional  encroachment  by  the  Federal  Government.  And  so  it  is 
that  I  cherish  the  conviction  that,  disfranchised  though  he  was,  his  great 
mind  took  in  the  grandeur  of  the  future  of  this  great  country,  which,  united 
by  the  common  sorrows  of  a  war  that  the  political  conditions  could  not  long 
have  averted,  is  insured  a  lasting  peace  by  the  greater  forbearance  and 


KENTUCKY'S  TRIBUTE.  627 

respect  -u-luch  after  such  experiences  'each  section  will  show  the  other. 
Nay,  with  his  far-reaching  eye,  ho  must  have  seen  wherein  the  people  of 
every  nation,  as  well  as  our  own,  would  have  their  love  of  liberty  quickened 
and  their  faith  in  republics  strengthened  when  they  come  to  understand  the 
true  stake  for  which  the  South,  with  him  as  its  chosen  leader,  endured  the 
hardships  of  a  four-years'  war. 

"It  was  in  such  a  light  that  I  held  Jeflerson  Davis  during  the  years  that 
his  conduct,  his  thoughts,  and  his  connections  were  subject  to  my  personal 
scrutiny,  and  it  is  as  such  a  man,  pure  in  morals, lofty  in  his  love  for  liberty, 
uncompromising  in  his  convictions  of  right ;  such  a  man  as  heroes  and 
martyrs  are  made  of,  yet  gentle  and  alive  to  all  the  duties  of  a  Christian 
gentleman,  that  I  shall  revere  in  memory  to  my  latest  hour  of  life,  and  point 
for  imitation  to  my  children  and  the  children  of  his  countrymen. 

"  Noble  friend !  whose  name  I  have  cherished  for  so  many  years  for  all 
the  virtues  I  have  named,  and  in  gratitude  for  the  sublime  friendship  and 
confidence  he  exhibited  at  a  critical  moment  to  Albert  Sidney  Johnston, 
may  a  grateful  people  show  to  his  memory  that  homage  which  in  his  life 
was  denied  them,  and  in  their  love  may  those  dear  to  him  who  survive  find 
the  succor  and  sympathy  which  is  theirs  by  a  just  inheritance !" 

The  CouriVr-JoitrnaZ  said  editorially:  -^ 

"  The  funeral  of  JMr.  Davis  yesterday  in  New  Orleans  fitly  expressed  a 
people's  sorrow  and  faithfully  represented  a  sentiment  of  affection  for  the 
dead  chief  of  the  Confederacy. 

"  In  the  long  procession  which  slowly  moved  through  the  streets  of  New 
Orleans  were  soldiers  from  every  battle-field  of  the  East  and  West,  who 
came  to  pay  their  last  tribute  to  one  who,  above  all  others,  represented  the 
cause  for  which  they  had  sacrificed  so  much.  These  men  turned  away  from 
the  fields  of  strife  long  ago,  and  have  made  other  places  for  themselves 
among  their  fellow-citizens.  New  ties  have  been  formed,  new  obligations 
have  been  accepted,  but  the  past  has  memories  of  its  own,  and  imposes  obli- 
gations of  its  own,  and  in  obedience  to  these  sentiments  common  to  all 
mankmd,  the  old  Confederates  followed  to  the  grave  him  who.  had  been 
through  four  long  years  the  guiding  star  of  a  new  nation. 

"  jMr.  Davis  dies  at  a  ri^^e  old  age,  living  long  enough  to  see  the  animosities 
of  the  war  die  out  and  to  have  that  respect  which  a  generous  people  will 
always  pay  to  one  wdao,  for  his  convictions,  w'ill  put  at  risk  all  a  man  holds 
dear.  "We  cannot  well  anticipate  the  verdict  of  common  generations  on  a 
man  or  on  any  cause,  successful  or  disastrous,  but  on  high  personal  charac- 
ter on  those  traits  which  dignify  manhood,  not  even  the  bitterest  personal 
malice  can  divide  public  opinion.  jMr.  Davis  has  won  the  respect  even  of 
his  opponents ;  he  has  borne  himself  in  a  manner  to  bring  no  discredit  on 
the  cause  he  represented,  and  by  his  open  grave  stand  many  who,  with  no 
thought  of  the  past,  seek  to  pay  respect  to  the  worth  of  the  man,  saying: 

"  '  Thi.s  earth  that  bears  the  dead, 
Bears  not  alive  a  truer  gentleman.' " 


628  THS  DAVIS  MEMOBTAL  VOLUME. 

1'h.e  Western  Recorder,  edited  by  Rev.  Dr.  T.  T.  Eaton  (who,  as  a  boy,  gal- 
lantly rode  with  Bedford  Forrest,  the  great  "Wizard  of  the  Saddle"),  said 
in  its  editorial : 

'■The  death  of  the  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis  removes  from  earth  one  of  the 
most  prominent  figures  of  this  century.  Perhaps  no  man  of  his  time  has 
made  a  wider  or  deeper  mark  upon  the  age  than  he.  His  biography  would 
be  a  history  of  the  country  for  more  than  a  generation  past.      *     *     *     * 

"Mr.  Davis  was  a  statesman  of  the  old  school,  firmly  and  consistently 
adhering  to  the  articles  of  his  political  faith  and  accepting  fearlessly  all  the 
consequences.  He  was  no  trickster  nor  time-server.  He  never  hesitated  to 
maintain  what  he  believed  to  be  right  because  it  was  unpopular.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  ability,  and  he  never  failed  to  make  himself  strongly  felt  along 
every  line  in  which  he  took  an  interest. 

"  In  his  personal  character  Mr  Davis  was  above  reproach.  He  was  simple 
in  his  tastes  and  manners,  and  readily  won  those  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact.  His  friendships  were  true  and  sincere.  He  was  loving  and  devoted 
in  his  home,  and,  above  all,  he  was  a  devout  Christian." 

All  over  Kentucky  memorial  meetings  were  held,  and  the  warmest  tributes 
paid  to  the  memory  of  our  chief,  but  we  cannot  here  find  space  even  to 
mention  them.  We  have  given  the  proclamation  of  the  Soldier-Governor 
of  Kentucky  (General  S.  B.  Buckner),and  have  made  appropriate  mention  of 
the  Kentucky  delegation  sent  to  New  Orleans. 

At  Paris  the  Confederate  Veterans  and  citizens  generally  had  a  meeting 
at  which  appropriate  resolutions  were  passed,  and  eloquent  speeches  made 
by  Captain  J.  M.  Jones,  and  Colonel  W.  E.  Sims. 

At  Lexingtontwo  meetings  were  held,  one  in  the  Courthouse  and  one  in  the 
Opera  House.  At  the  latter  the  venerable  Rev.  Dr.  R.  Ryland,  formerly  Pres- 
ident of  Richmond  College,  gave  some  touchingreminiscences  of  Mr.  Davis's 
life  in  Richmond  during  the  war,  which  we  should  like  to  quote  in  full,  and 
Captain  R.  H.  Fitzhugh  read  the  following  characteristic  and  significant 
letter : 

"  Beauvoie,  Miss    August  12th,  1890. 
"  Captain  R.  H.  Fitzhugh, 

"  Dear  Sir  : 

"  Your  cordial  letter  was  duly  received  and  be  assured  that  the 
delay  in  its  acknowledgment  was  not  the  result  of  want  of  appreciation. 
Please  accept  my  thanks  for  your  expressed  desire  to  draw  near  to  me  in  the 
evening  of  our  life. 

"  With  the  earnest  hope  that  when  our  pilgrimage  is  over,  we  may  meet  in 
a  happier  state  of  existence. 

(Signed)  "  Very  truly  yours, 

"  Jefferson  Davis." 

At  Stanford  Rev.  Dr.  George  Hunt  made  one  of  the  best  memorial  ad- 
dresses that  we  have  seen,  and  we  had  purposed  publishing  it  in  full. 


MISSISSIFFPS  TRIBUTE.  629 

At  Rassellville,  at  Florence,  at  Owensboro',  at  Fairview,  at  Fulton,  at 
"Winchester,  at  Henderson,  and  at  nearly  all  of  the  towns  and  villages  of 
the  State  there  were  meetingSj  speeches,  resolutions,  &c.,  to  swell  the  warm 
tribute  of  Kentucky  to  her  great  son. 

The  Bethel  Baptist  Church  at  Fairview  passed  appropriate  resolutions, 
and  tendered  a  burial  place  on  the  spot  of  his  birth,  being  a  part  of  the  lot 
he  had  given  to  the  church  as  a  site  for  a  house  of  worship. 

Mississippi's  tribute. 

In  the  account  of  the  funeral  obsequies  we  have  already  given  the  pro- 
clamation of  the  Soldier-Governor  (General  Lowry),  his  speech  at  the  great 
meeting  of  Confederate  Veterans,  and  other  items  which  show  how  warmly 
the  great  heart  of  Mississippi  throbbed  in  unison  with  the  general  grief 
for  the  death  of  her  most  illustrious  son. 

Meetings  were  held,  eloquent  and  appropriate  speeches  were  made,  and 
resolutions  adopted  throughout  the  State. 

The  following  were  sent  Mrs.  Davis  from  the  University  of  Mississippi : 

"  Resolved,  That  earnestly  desiringto  attest  our  love  and  admiration  for  the 
memory  of  Jefferson  Davis,  and  to  manifest  the  high  estimate  in  which  we 
hold  his  eminent  public  services,  his  unselfish  private  life  and  his  exalted 
patriotism,  we,  the  business  men  of  Oxford,  the  faculty  and  students  of  the 
University  of  Mississippi,  do  now  suspend  our  daily  avocations  and  pur- 
suits that  the  countrymen  of  Jefi'erson  Davis  here  present  may  pay  fitting 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  distinguished  dead. 

"  Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  Jefi'erson  Davis  Mississippi  has  lost  her 
greatest  son,  the  Southern  people  their  most  devoted  friend,  and  the  country 
at  large  one  of  the  greatest,  noblest  and  truest  men,  and  one  whose  name, 
we  believe,  will  take  rank  in  history  with  those  of  the  most  exalted 
patriots  of  his  time. 

"Resolved,  That  we,  the  citizens  of  Oxford  and  members  of  the  State  Uni- 
versity, do  extend  to  the  bereaved  family  our  tenderest  sympathies  and  our 
assurance  that  although  their  loss  in  the  lamented  dead  is  unutterably  great, 
yet  shall  we  never  permit  such  loss  to  cause  our  aflectionate  interest  in 
them  to  fall  away." 

She  also  received  copies  of  resolutions  adopted  in  meetings  held  at  the 
following  points:  Holly  Springs,  Ladies'  Confederate  Monument  Associa- 
tion at  Jackson,  INIontgomery  County  Farmers'  Alliance,  Centreville,  Shu- 
qualak,  Natchez,  Canton,  Corinth,  Vicksburg,  Grenada,  Meridian,  Columbus, 
West  Point,  and  other  places. 

But  the  Legislature  of  the  State  set  apart  January  22, 1890,  as  a  "  Memo-* 
rial  Day,"  and  had  proceedings,  which  were  reported  as  follows  in  the  Jack-| 
son  Clarion-Ledger . • 

"Wednesday  being  set  apart  as  Memorial  Day,  there  was  no  regular  ses- 
sion of  either  house.    During  the  day  lovely  ladies  with  sturdy  assistants 


630  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

had  been  busy  in  decorating  the  hall  suitable  for  the  memorable  occasion. 
In  front  of  the  Speaker's  stand  was  a  large  table  with  a  satin  cover;  hang> 
ing  from  the  stand  was  the  Confederate  coat  of  arms,  draped  with  black 
satin,  with  streamers  of  red,  white,  and  blue ;  back  of  the  Speaker's  stand 
was  a  life-size  portrait  of  Mr.  Davis,  heavily  draped ;  on  one  side  of  the 
stand  hung  a  Confederate  flag  at  half  mast,  furled  and  draped ;  on  the 
other  side  was  seen  the  flag  of  Mississippi ;  by  the  side  of  the  Confederate 
flag  was  pendent  the  sword  Mr.  Davis  had  worn  through  the  ]\Iexican  war ; 
by  the  flag  of  Mississippi  a  large  pen ;  United  States  flags  were  hung  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  hall.  Many  of  the  decorations  were  from  the  home  of 
Mr.  Davis. 

"The  House  was  called  to  order  at  7  o'clock,  when  the  roll  was  called. 

"  Mr.  Barber,  chairman  of  the  House  committee  appointed  to  wait  vipon 
Mrs.  Davis  and  invite  her  to  attend  the  memorial  exercises,  made  the  fol- 
lowing report,  which  was  unanimously  adopted : 

"  Mr.  Speaker : 

"Your  committee  appointed  to  visit  Mrs.  Varina  Howell  Davis  and 
invite  her  to  be  present  at  the  memorial  services  to  be  held  by  the  Legisla- 
ture of  the  State  of  Mississippi  on  Wednesday,  the  22d  of  January,  1890,  in 
honor  of  Hon.  Jefi'erson  Davis,  beg  leave  to  report — 

"That  in  compliance  with  your  concurrent  resolution  they  visited  Mrs. 
Varina  Davis  at  her  home,  in  Beauvoir,  Miss.,  and  that  they  invited  her  and 
family  to  be  present  with  us  on  that  occasion,  and  that  she  was  deeply 
touched  with  this  mark  of  your  regard  for  her  deceased  husband,  and  begged 
us  to  assure  you  of  her  love  and  esteem  for  the  State  that  honored  her  hus- 
band in  life,  which  State  he  loved  so  well,  but  that  physical  inability  would 
prevent  her  from  complying  with  your  request. 

"Eespectfully  submitted.— E.  M.  Barber,  J.  M.  Pelham,  E.  F.  Abbay,  W. 
G.  Evans,  Jr.,  committee  on  part  of  Houso. 

"  The  Speaker  appointed  Messrs.  Gunn,  A'ardeman  and  Gillespie  a  commit- 
tee to  invite  the  Senate  to  meet  with  the  House  in  joint  session. 

"  The  committee  reported,  and  in  a,  few  moments  the  Senate  appeared; 
Lieutenant-Governor  Evans  presiding. 

"The  band  rendered  a  dirge. 

"  The  Governor,  and  staff,  and  committee  and  escort,  orators  of  the  even- 
ing, and  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  came  in. 

"  Then  thirteen  young  ladies  representing  the  thirteen  States  of  the  Con- 
federacy, entered  the  hall  bearing  a  pyramid  of  flowers  on  a  silver  litter, 
the  thirteenth  lady  walking  behind,  bearing  the  bonny  Blue  Flag,  in  the 
following  order : 

"  IMississippi,  IMiss  Lilla  Chiles ;  Florida,  Miss  Ola  IMason ;  ISTorth  Carolina, 
Miss  Virgie  Cameron ;  South  Carolina,  ]Miss  Nannie  Calhoun  ;  Kentucky, 
Miss  Elise  Govan ;  Tennessee,  IMiss  Annie  Stone ;  Louisiana,  ]Miss  Kate 


.V  J  ,BV  ^^^'^  ^^^  _/ 


»-:,.^ 


632  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Chambers  ;  Georgia,  Miss  Mary  Evans ;  Texas,  Miss  Lula  Harrington ;  Ala- 
bama, Miss  Willie  Atkinson;  Maryland,  Miss  Alexander;  Missouri,  Miss 
Ida  IMitchell ;  Virginia,  Miss  Kate  Power. 

"  Bishop  Hugh  Miller  Thompson  then  read  3rd  chapter,  1-10  verses  of  the 
Wisdom  of  Solomon,  followed  by  an  earnest  prayer. 

"  Miss  Lilla  Chiles  recited  the  '  Conquered  Banner'  in  a  highly  dramatic 
manner,  bringing  tears  to  the  eyes  of  many  of  the  audience. 

"The  'Bonny  Blue  Flag'  by  the  band  was  received  by  loud  applause. 

"Senator  Cameron  read  the  following  resolutions,  which  had  been  adopted 
by  the  Memorial  Committee : 

"  The  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  [of  the  State  of  Mississippi 
assembled  in  joint  Convention  in  memory  of  Jefierson '.Davis,  her  most 
illustrious  citizen  and  public  servant  resolve  to  record  of  him : 

"That  he  gave  to  the  public  ser\'ice  the  greater  part  of  a  life  made  bril- 
liant and  memorable  by  the  display  of  high  endowments  of  mind  and  spirit, 
and  was  never  tempted  by  popularity  or  success  to  deviate  from  the  line  of 
duty. 

"  That  in  the  several  promotions  through  which  he  reached  the  highest 
grade  of  public  employment  he  regarded  each  added  honor  not  as  a  personal 
reward,  but  as  a  demand  by  his  country  for  greater  zeal  and  greater  effort 
to  meet  greater  responsibilities. 

"  That  as  a  soldier  and  commander  he  gave  renown  to  the  State  troops,  and 
in  the  civil  service  of  the  State  and  the  United  States  his  achievements 
reflected  honor  upon  Mississippi  and  imparted  lustre  and  influence  to  her 
position. 

"  That  he  loved  his  State,  and  gave  to  her  behests  absolute  obedience. 

"  That  the  confidence,  admiration  and  affection  given  to  him  in  such  full 
measure  by  the  people  of  the  South  did  not  arise  out  of  any  mistake  or  mis- 
conception of  character,  but  were  founded  upon  positive  knowledge  of  his 
excellence,  as  shown  both  in  public  and  private  life,  during  periods  of  com- 
mon peril  and  temptations,  and  throughout  a  long,  varied,  and  illustrious 
career. 

"  That  his  patriotism,  courage,  constancy,  and  fidelity  were  of  that  high 
class  of  public  virtues  which  makes  the  true  glory  of  States  and  nations, 
and  commends  his  name  to  future  generations  as  an  example  of  all  that  is 
elevated  in  human  conduct. 

"  Mr.  Barbour  moved  that  the  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  journals  of 
both  houses,  which  was  seconded  by  Mr.  Abbay  and  adopted. 

"  Dirge  by  the  band. 

"  Mr.  Watson  moved  to  amend  the  resolutions  by  suitably  enrolling  and 
sending  to  the  family  of  Mrs,  Davis  a  copy  of  the  same. 

"  Hon.  G.  A.  Wilson  was  introduced  as  the  orator  representing  the  Senate, 
and  delivered  a  most  interesting  and  able  address  on  the  life  and  character 
of  Mr.  Davis,  commencing  with  birth  and  folloAving  him  through  all  the 
vicissitudes  of  life  down  to  the  shades  of  death, 


ARKANSAS'S  TRIBUTE.  633 

"  Hon.  L.  W.  Magruder,  as  orator  on  the  part  of  the  House,  followed  in 
one  of  his  characteristicall}'-  beautiful  orations,  each  phrase  being  a  jewel 
and  each  word  a  gem.  He  referred  to  the  public  career  of  Mr.  Davis  and 
held  him  up  as  one  of  the  grandest  characters  known  in  history. 

"Judge  J.  A.  P.  Campbell  was  then  introduced,  and  delivered  one  of  the 
most  forcible,  learned,  and  eloquent  addresses  ever  heard  in  the  Capitol. 
From  first  to  last  he  had  the  wrapt  attention  of  the  audience,  and  his  grand 
flights  and  beautiful,  patriotic  sentiments  were  loudly  cheered.  He  felt 
every  word  he  spoke,  and  did  great  credit  to  the  noble  man  whose  memory 
he  so  fondly  cherishes  and  deeply  reveres.  As  an  orator  Judge  Campbell 
has  few  equals  in  this  country,  and  he,  above  all  men,  was  the  proper  person 
to  do  homage  to  the  deeds  of  glory  and  valor  of  the  great  Mississippian. 

"At  the  conclusion  of  Judge  Campbell's  address  Bishop  Thompson  invoked 
the  divine  blessing,  and  the  joint  convention  was  adjourned." 

No  State  ever  loved  a  son  more  ardently  or  honored  him  more  joyfully 
than  Mississippi  did  Jefferson  Davis,  and  no  son  ever  loved  his  State  with 
more  filial  devotion  than  did  Jefferson  Davis  love  Mississippi. 

Arkansas's  tribute. 

The  proclamation  of  Governor  J.  P.  Eagle,  the  "Soldier-Governor  of 
Arkansas,"  and  his  speech  at  the  grand  soldiers'  meeting  in  New  Orleans 
have  already  been  given. 

The  State  followed  the  lead  of  her  Governor,  and  at  almost  every  town 
and  hamlet  within  lier  borders  suitable  memorial  meetings  were  held  and 
appropriate  action  taken. 

At  Little  Eock  on  Memorial  Day  there  was  a  monster  mass  meeting  in  the 
State  Capitol,  at  which  there  were  beautiful  and  appropriate  funeral  deco- 
rations, and  a  solemn  and  deeply  moved  crowd. 

The  oration  delivered  on  the  occasion  by  Judge  U.  M.  Eose  was  one  of  the 
best  we  have  seen,  and  we  regret  that  we  can  only  find  room  for  the  follow- 
ing extract  from  his  conclusion  : 

"  The  events  of  a  man's  life  may  be  regarded  as  the  outward  trappings 
and  habiliments  with  which  he  has  been  invested  by  a  more  or  less  impla- 
cable destiny  ;  and  after  all  categories  are  exhausted  we  do  not  see  the  man 
himself,  nor  perceive  the  indefinable  and  subtle  elements  that  go  to  make 
up  a  distinct  personality.  I  think  that  to  most  men  Mr.  Davis  would  appear, 
in  imagination,  like  Wolsey. 

' "  Lofty  and  sour,  to  them  that  loved  him  not ; 

But,  to  those  men  that  sought  him,  as  sweet  as  summer.' " 

"  Of  course,  his  position  during  many  years  must  have  given  him  an  ap- 
pearance of  isolation ;  but  it  is  certain  that  to  those  who  were  intimately 
acquainted  with  him  he  gave  the  impression  of  kindness  of  heart,  of  geni- 
ality of  disposition,  and  of  a  cheerful  demeanor.  He  had  peculiarly  strong 
hold  on  the  friends  that  he  made,  and  he  made  friends  during  everv  period 


634  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

of  his  life.  The  long  devotion  of  his  former  slaves  to  him,  ending  only 
with  death,  is  a  conclusive  testimony  of  the  humane  tenor  of  his  feelings. 
Persons  whom  he  had  met  in  his  campaigns  in  the  Black-Hawk  War,  when 
he  was  reputed  to  be  the  handsomest,  the  most  free-hearted  and  compan- 
ionable of  all  the  young  officers  in  the  service,  remembered  him  after  very 
many  years  with  the  warmest  affection,  which  was  not  effaced  by  the  hos- 
tilities that  divided  them  in  interests  and  in  hopes.  Some  of  these  visited 
him  in  his  latest  years,  and  evinced  all  the  tenderness  of  friendship  which 
time  and  war  could  not  destroy.  As  a  husband,  a  father,  a  neighbor,  he  dis- 
played the  kindest  and  most  affectionate  disposition. 

"A  stormy  life  w^as  followed  by  a  quiet  old  age,  which  he  devoted  largely 
to  a  vindication,  less  of  himself  than  of  the  peoi^le  who  had  entrusted  their 
fortunes  to  his  keeping.  If  in  the  early  period  of  his  retirement  he  some- 
times grieved  his  friends  by  public  expressions  that  recalled  too  vividly  the 
bitterness  of  the  past,  the  feelings  of  which  these  were  the  evidence  find  no 
trace  in  the  book  in  which  he  recorded  his  mature  judgment  of  the  decisive 
events  in  which  he  played  such  a  prominent  part.  Reconciled  with  the 
irrevocable  past,  he  was  able  to  perceive  that  our  great  civil  war  had  worked 
out  many  beneficial  results,  and  that  the  future  might  open  up  totheunitec' 
American  people  such  an  immense  field  of  usefulness  and  prosperity  a 
would  dim  even  the  brightness  of  their  own  past.  For  that  work  we  owt 
him  a  debt  of  gratitude;  for  having  been  much  read  abroad,  it  has  had  the 
effect  to  greatly  mitigate  the  harshness  with  which  our  people  have  often 
been  judged. 

"  Born  on  the  very  day  when  Napolean  had  reached  the  zenith  of  his 
power,  and  in  the  very  month  in  which  it  began  to  decaj^,  and  dying  in  his 
82d  year,  no  man  of  our  time  ever  had  so  many  and  such  striking  vicissi- 
tudes as  Mr.  Davis.  From  the  days  of  Adams  and  Jefferson,  through  the 
long  period  that  terminated  in  his  death,  he  was  personally  acquainted  wdth 
almost  every  distinguished  man  of  his  country  and  his  time ;  and  he  beheld 
such  changes  in  all  the  varied  affairs  of  humanity  as  far  transcended  the 
dreams  of  any  generation  that  had  preceded  him.  Outliving  all  the  chief 
actors  in  the  great  drama  in  which  he  had  played  a  principal  part,  surviving 
Lincoln,  and  Seward,  and  Grant,  and  Lee,  and  Jackson,  and  Stuart,  how 
full  of  memories  must  his  mind  have  been,  as  he  trod  the  shores  of  that 
Southern  gulf  that  broke  in  harmonious  sounds  by  his  secluded  home! 
Perhaps  to  him,  as  to  many  others,  that  complaining  sea,  extending  far 
beyond  the  reach  of  human  vision,  containing  in  its  sombre  depths  so  many 
mysteries  forever  unexplained,  presented  the  emblem  of  that  wide  eternity 
upon  whose  echoless  shore  are  hushed  all  the  sounds  of  human  strife. 
Or  perhaps  when  the  tempest  spread  its  black  wings  over  the  angry  waves, 
if- recalled  the  stormy  scenes  in  which  his  life  had  been  so  largely  spent; 
;  r.l  it  may  be  that  in  the  succeeding  calm  that  brooded  on  the  quiet  waters 
lie  perceived  the  type  of  that  peace  that  awaits  the  tired  mariner  when  the 


FLORIDA'S    TRIBUTE.  635 

uncertain  voyage  of  life  is  over.  Surrounded  by  friends  and  family  that 
had  long  been  as  dear  to  him  'as  the  ruddy  drops  that  visited  his  sad 
heart,'  it  may  be  that  weary  of  a  world  of  turmoil,  where  we  see  but  darkly 
and  are  oppressed  with  doubt,  he  was  pleased  to  find  in  the  bottom  of  the 
bitter  cup  of  life  that  drop  of  anodyne,  that  'sweet  oblivious  antidote,'  that 
lulls  every  care  to  sleep. 

"  But  even  now — dust  to  dust,  ashes  to  ashes.  So  all  things  mortal  end. 
The  flowers  have  been  strewn;  the  voice  of  the  priest  is  silent ;  the  final 
requiem  has  been  sung ;  the  last  vibrations  of  the  funeral  bell  still  linger 
fiiintly  on  sea  and  land  ;  anc  the  chieftain,  whose  strange  career  is  so  deeply 
impressed  on  the  page  of  history,  having  received  God's  great  amnesty,  has 
entered  upon  that  last  repose  which  shall  nevermore  be  disturbed  by  the 
voice  of  praise  or  blame." 

Appropriate  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted. 

At  Hot  Springs  there  was  a  large  and  enthusiastic  meeting  led  by  the  Con- 
federate Veterans,  at  which  Col.  John  M.  Harrell  made  an  eloquent  and 
appropriate  address.  Mrs.  Lillian  B.  Gray  aroused  great  enthusiasm  by 
reciting  Judge  George  P.  Smootes's  recent  poem  on  "Jefierson  Davis  at 
Buena  Vista,"  and  appropriate  resolutions  were  adopted. 

At  Helena  and  at  many  other  points  in  the  State  there  were  meetings,  reso- 
lutions, and  speeches,  and  the  great  State  of  Arkansas,  whose  soldiers  were 
among  the  bravest  of  the  brave  in  our  great  struggle  for  constitutional  free- 
dom, was  no  whit  behind  her  Southern  sisters  in  bringing  loving  tribute  to 
our  dead  President. 

floeida's   tribute. 

We  have  given  the  proclamation  and  the  speech  of  Governor  Fleming, 
who  voiced  the  sentiments  of  his  people. 

In  response  to  a  telegram  from  the  New  York  World,  the  Governor  sent 
the  following : 

"Tallahassee,  Fla.,  December  6, 1889. 

"  To  the  World,  New  York: 

"  Throughout  a  long  life  Jefierson  Davis  illustrated  a  pure  and  lofty 
character  with  a  powerful  intellect  and  unsurpassed  abilities.  Whether  as 
a  distinguished  soldier  of  the  Mexican  war,  whose  skill  and  valor  saved  the 
day  to  the  American  arms  at  Buena  Vista,  as  a  Senator  of  the  United  States, 
as  Secretary  of  War,  or  the  chosen  leader  of  the  Confederate  cause,  he  was 
alike  true  to  every  trust  reposed  in  him,  and  exhibited  abilities  of  the 
highest  order.  He  was  ever  true  to  the  principles  of  American  liberty,  and- 
impartial  history  will  accord  him  a  place  among  the  most  profound  states- 
men of  the  country, 

"Francis  P.  Fleming,  Governor  of  Florida.'' 


636  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

At  Jacksonville  there  was  an  enthusiastic  meeting  and  suitable  resolu- 
tions, and  Dr.  R.  B.  Burroughs,  in  transmitting  the  resolutions,  addressed 
Mrs.  Davis  the  following  letter : 

"Jacksonville,  Fla.,  December  11,  1889. 
"  To  Mrs.  Jefferson  Davis : 

"  Dear  Madam  : 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  this  place,  held  last 
evening,  December  10th,  the  enclosed  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted, 
and  in  order  to  give  emphasis  to  them,  and  as  additional  evidence  of  feel- 
ing, it  was  also  decided  that  a  letter  from  the  officer  presiding,  expressive  of 
their  reverence  for  the  memory  of  your  husband  and  their  sympathy  fir 
you,  should  accompany  them. 

"  Honored  by  this  trust,  let  me  assure  you  that  I  fully  feel  the  delicacy 
with  which  it  should  be  performed,  and  that  I  fully  know  that  in  this  dark 
hour  of  your  grief  but  little  can  be  brought  to  your  stricken  heart  of  com- 
fort or  relief. 

"  In  the  death  and  entrance  upon  a  glorious  immortality  of  the  revered 
Jefferson  Davis,  there  has  passed  from  earth  a  character  so  grand  in  its  pro- 
portions, so  perfect  in  its  symmetry,  so  faultless  in  its  beauty,  that  the  lan- 
guage applied  to  the  immortal  Washington  is  equally  pertinent  to  him;  that 
he  '  exhibited  in  one  glow  of  associated  beauty  the  pride  of  every  model 
and  the  perfection  of  every  master.'  In  this  combination  of  excellences  of 
character,  of  one  trait  no  man  of  modern  or  ancient  times  has  given  higher 
manifestation,  and  his  name  will  always  stand  as  the  synonym  of  loyalty  to 
duty  and  fidelity  to  trust. 

"  With  naked  sword  and  eagle  eye  undimmed  by  age  he  stood  upon  his 
lofty  eminence  guarding  to  the  day  of  his  death  the  sacred  dust  of  the  cause 
he  so  nobly  defended,  and  like  the  sentinel  at  Herculaneum,  with  the  dust 
and  ashes  of  a  proud  and  mighty  empire  falling  around  him,  he  remained  at 
his  post  undismayed  with  a  serenity  and  calmness  that  was  truly  sublime. 

"  As  a  soldier  and  in  defense  of  the  honor  of  his  country,  he  poured  out 
his  blood  on  the  soil  of  Mexico  and  held  aloft  in  his  loyal  grasp  the  battle- 
stained  flag  of  the  Union,  and  though  possessed  of  a  spirit  so  attuned  as  to 
'  feel  oppression's  slightest  finger  as  a  mountain  weight,'  he  repelled  from 
his  bosom  every  feeling  of  hostility  until  convinced  that  the  institutions  he 
revered  and  the  altars  he  held  sacred  were  menaced. 

"  It  is  conceded  that  in  the  portfolio  of  Secretary  of  War  he  had  no  equal, 
as  a  warrior  he  was  brave,  as  a  statesman  eloquent  and  wise,  and  when  he 
held  the  reins  of  empire  he  was  discreet  and  just.  The  death  of  President 
Davis  seals  the  door" of  the  sepulchre  in  which,  I  trust,  we  have  forever  laid 
at  rest  the  spirit  of  intolerance  of  those  who  bravely  defended  the  cause 
they  deemed  just  and  right.  To-night  we  sit  beneath  the  willows  and  sing 
for  the  last  time  the  requiem  of  a  nation  dead — 
"  '  No  nation  rose  so  white  and  fair, 
None  fell  so  free  of  crime,' 


MARYLAND'S  TRIBUTE.  637 

"This  night  the  spirit  of  the  illiLstriuus  ehiuftiiin  encamps  on.  the  other 
shore  with  Lee,  Jackson,  Polk,  and  other  Christian  heroes  where  their  ban- 
ner will  never  droop  nor  its  stars  grow  pale. 

"  I  can  see  the  light  e'en  now  of  a  dawning  day  when  those  who  fell  in 
that  fratricidal  strife,  each  a  patriot,  contending  for  what  he  deemed  the 
right,  shall  have  mingled  into  one  common  fraternal  dust  that  a  nobler 
fabric  will  arise  than  that  which  our  fathers  built — the  fabric  of  a  more 
glorious  Union,  a  Union,  though  founded  on  strife,  that  shall  stand  forever, 
indissolubly  cemented  by  the  blood  of  her  sons,  and  shall  bear  on  its  corner- 
stone in  letters  of  living  light — the  spirit  of  justice,  equality,  and  right,  a 
light  that  shad  clearly  illumine,  and  to  this,  and  all  coming  generations, 
illustrate  the  character  and  the  conduct  of  Jefferson  Davis  and  his  followers. 

"  To  you,  dear  madam,  the  nearest  friend  of  this  great  and  good  man,  the 
widowed  mother  of  his  children,  sitting  with  bowed  head  and  stricken  with, 
grief,  we  would  come  with  words  of  tenderest  sympathy,  trusting  that  the 
God  of  the  widow  and  the  fatherless  will  comfort  and  sustain  you. 

"  AVith  great  respect,  I  am,  dear  madam,  yours  truly, 

"R.  B.  Burroughs." 

At  Pcnsacola,  and  at  other  points  all  over  the  State,  suitable  action  was 
taken,  and  Florida  paid  our  Chief  a  tribute  not  unworthy  of  her  gallant 
soldiers  who  followed  his  lead  in  the  dark  days  of  war. 

Maryland's  tribute. 

"  My  Maryland  "  did  not  "  come  "  to  the  Southern  Confederacy  simply 
because  her  geographical  position  was  such  that  she  could  be  and  was 
"  pinned  to  the  Union  by  Federal  bayonets ;"  but  the  Confederacy  had  no 
more  gallant  soldiers  than  those  who  "  ran  the  blockade  "  from  this  noble 
State ;  there  were  no  more  loyal  hearts  than  many  who  "  waited  and 
watched"  at  home,  and  nowhere  have  Confederate  memories  been  more 
warmly  cherished.  "  Our  Dead  President"  had  a  warm  tribute  paid  him  in 
INIaryland. 

On  "  JMemorial  Day"  there  was  held  at  the  armory  of  the  Fifth  Regiment 
in  Baltimore  a  large  and  enthusiastic  meeting,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Confederate  Society  of  INIaryland.  The  veterans  from  the  "  Home" — the  old 
color  bearer — the  members  of  the  Confederate  Society  with  their  battle-flag 
badges — the  decorations — and  the  large  number  of  distinguished  men  and 
noble  women  present — all  combined    to  make  a  scene  of  deep  interest. 

Captain  INIcHenry  Howard  called  the  meeting  to  order,  and  announced 
the  following  officers :  President,  Mayor  Davidson ;  Vice-Presidents,  Hon, 
S.  Teackle  "Wallis,  Hon.  George  William  Brown,  General  George  H.Stewart, 
and  General  Bradley  T.  Johnson.  Secretaries,  jNIajor  W.  Stuart  Symington, 
and  Captain  John  Donnell  Smith.  Committee  on  memorial,  Major  Thomas 
W.Hall. 


638  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Rev.  Dr.  E.  H.  McKim,  of  the  Church  of  the  Epiphany,  Washington,  (a 
gallant  Confederate  soldier),  led  in  afervent  and  appropriate  prayer,  and  there 
were  speeches  of  more  than  ordinary  interest,  feeling,  and  power  by  Mayor 
Davidson,  who  said  that  "another  great  oak  of  the  foi'est  has  fallen."  Colo- 
nel D.  G.  Mcintosh,  who  commanded  a  Battalion  of  Artillery  in  the  Army 
of  Northern  Virginia,  and  who  said  in  his  speech,  "  We  will  bequeath  his 
memory  to  our  children  as  a  precious  legacy."  Colonel  Charles  Marshall, 
the  old  military  secretary  of  General  Lee,  who  closed  his  address  by  asking 
"  Who  is  there  that  is  not  proud  to  be  the  countryman  of  such  a  man,  who 
was  faithful  to  the  last?"  General  Bradley  T.  Johnston,  of  the  old"  Mary- 
land Line, "  who  said,  "Mr.  Davis  and  the  men  with  him  were  trying  to 
establish  a  government  on  the  principles  of  the  Constitution  of  1789.  I 
have  never  concluded  that  I  have  been  glad  that  the  war  ended  as  it  did." 
Rev.  Dr.  W.  U.  Murkland,  who  spoke  of  Mr.  Davis  and  the  Confederate 
Soldiers  who  followed  him  as  "  A  brave  chivalry  that  puts  to  blush  all  the 
chivalry  of  the  past."  And  Hon.  S.  Teackle  Wallis,  who  said  of  him,  "  He 
bore  his  persecutions  as  a  christian  and  a  gentleman." 

We  very  much  regret  that  our  limited  space  forbids  our  publishing  these 
eloquent  speeches  in  full. 

We  can  only  find  room  for  the  following  brief  extracts.  Colonel  Mcintosh 
closed  his  speech  by  saying : 

"As  President  of  the  Confederacy  iNIr.  Davis  was  called  upon  for  the  exer- 
cise of  every  quality  which  properly  belongs  to  the  statesman  in  the  Cabi- 
net or  the  military  chieftain  in  the  field.  The  requisitions  upon  him  were 
undoubtedly  large,  probably  more  than  mortal  man  could  respond  to.  He 
alone  knew  the  full  extent  of  the  difficulties  which  beset  him.  No  one 
could  feel  as  he  did  the  responsibility  of  the  vast  interests  at  home  and 
abroad  committed  principally  to  his  keeping.  Armies  had  to  be  raised  and 
fed  and  clothed,  and  equipped  with  all  the  munitions  of  war.  Diplomatic 
agents  had  to  be  appointed  and  instructed,  and  delicate  negotiations 
attempted  with  the  leading  powers  abroad.  At  home  jealousies  had  to  be 
appeased  and  conflicting  interests  reconciled,  while  ever  and  at  all  times 
was  the  constantly  recurring  problem — how,  out  of  the  poverty  of  the 
resources  in  reach,  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  each  passing  day. 

"  Personal  opposition,  of  course,  he  encountered  ;  personal  enmities  he 
could  not  do  otherwise  than  arouse,  but  his  intrepid  spirit  never  faltered. 
Conscious  of  his  own  integrity,  supremely  self-reliant  in  the  motives  and 
public  policy  upon  which  his  conduct  was  based,  he  kept  on  unflinchingly 
to  the  end.  No  disaster  could  appal  him.  When  his  troops  met  with 
reverses  in  the  field  he  issued  those  wonderful  addresses,  charged  with  fiery 
eloquence,  which,  ringing  like  the  tones  of  a  trumpet,  revived  their  droop- 
ing spirits  and  incited  them  afresh  to  deeds  of  valor.  When  the  end  came 
he  was  still  undaunted. 


MARYLAND'S  mTBUTE.  639 

"  It  was  the  fortune  of  a  few  of  his  soldiers  who  were  not  paroled  at 
Appomattox  to  overtake  him  in  his  passage  through  the  State  of  North 
Carolina.  His  faith  in  the  God  of  battles  and  in  the  success  of  the  cause 
was  steadfast  and  unshaken.  He  could  not  bclieVe  that  the  star  of  the  Con- 
federacy had  follen.  His  imperial  will  and  the  mighty  purpose  which  had 
sustained  him  for  more  than  four  years  refused  to  be  thwarted,  and  with  an 
intensi*^y  and  eloquence  born  of  genius  he  stood  out  for  another  base  of 
operations. 

"The  sublimity  of  his  faith,  the  magnetism  of  his  presence,  the  pathos  of 
the  situation,  the  contagion  of  his  own  nature,  affected  us  in  a  way  we  were 
powerless  to  resist,  and  our  little  company  parted  from  him  with  the  assur- 
ance that  we  should  join  him  in  the  department  of  the  trans-Mississippi. 
Two  days'  ride  across  the  waste  left  by  Sherman's  army  revealed  to  us,  as  we 
had  not  seen  it  before,  the  poverty  of  the  situation,  and  a  day  or  two  more 
brought  tidings  of  the  capture  which  completed  the  overthrow  of  the  Gov- 
ernment. 

"  The  next  time  we  saw  Mr.  Davis  was  when,  as  a  prisoner  Jie  was  brought 
from  Fortress  JMonroe  to  be  arraigned  in  the  Circuit  Court  in  Richmond  on 
the  charge  of  treason.  Fortunately  for  the  peace  of  the  country,  the  repu- 
tation of  the  Government,  and  the  reconciliation  of  the  two  sections,  the 
charge  was  not  pressed.  Even  at  that  early  day  the  generous  and  graceful 
act  of  the  venerable  Horace  Greely  in  oifering  himself  as  a  hostage  to  the 
Government  to  procure  the  release  of  his  former  political  enemy  swept  like 
so  much  grateful  balm  into  the  hearts  of  the  Southern  people,  and  formed 
the  first  step  towards  genuine  reconstruction. 

"It  would  be  useless  at  this  day  to  say  much  of  the  confinement  of  Mr. 
Davis  and  his  treatment  when  in  prison.  We  know  that  in  those  days  the 
great  heart  of  the  people  of  the  South  yearned  towards  the  sufferer  as  that 
of  a  mother  yearns  to  its  offspring.  The  rivets  which  bound  hia  fetters 
pierced  every  bosom  in  the  South  and  transfixed  it  with  the  most  poignant 
anguish.  To  his  peoj^le  that  becomes  an  atonement  for  any  errors  he  may 
have  committed.  Henceforth  there  could  be  but  one  sentiment — he  was  a 
people's  vicarious  sufferer.  All  else  was  forgotten.  Happily  for  us  all  the 
scars  of  his  fetters  have  long  since  disappeared,  and  he  ended  his  days  in 
the  midst  of  his  friends  and  in  the  shadow  of  a  blessed  peace. 

"  He  devoted  his  declining  years  to  a  defense  of  his  public  coui-se  and  that 
of  his  people.  'The  History  of  the  Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Confederacy '  is 
one  of  the  lasting  monuments  he  leaves  behind  him.  But  while  he  believed 
to  the  end  in  the  political  creed  of  his  earlier  life,  and  that  the  arguments 
upon  which  they  were  founded  are  unanswerable  in  the  forum  of  reason,  as 
do  many  others,  he  admitted  that  the  war  had  made  them  impracticable, 
and  he  expressed  the  sincere  hope  that  the  Union  would  be  perpetual. 

"  We  pass  no  judgment  upon  the  place  which  history  will  assign  him.  He 
already  stands  out  as  the  most  interesting,  if  not  the  most  conspicuous, 
figure  of  his  day. 


640  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

"  Imperishably  linked  by  association  with  the  great  captains  "W'hom  in 
life  he  trusted  and  loved — his  early  friend  and  admiration,  the  peerless 
Albert  Sydney  Johnston  ;  his  trusted  advisor  and  counsellor,  the  immortal 
Hobert  E.  Lee;  his  faithful  lieutenant,  the  grand  and  glorious  Stonewall 
Jackson — w©  can  affoi'd  to  trust  posterity  to  do  justice  to  one  and  to  all. 

"  What  can  I  say  in  conclusion?  Nature  made  him  one  of  its  noblemen. 
The  faith  which  he  professed,  and  the  virtues  he  practiced,  made  him  a 
Christian  gentleman ;  and  in  that  spirit  land  to  which  he  has  departed,  his 
soul,  basking  in  the  sunshine  of  its  creator,  will  pursue  its  pure  and  loftj^ 
impulses  in  endless  activities  through  the  ocean  of  time." 

The  graceful  and  admirable  "  Memorial"  paper  presented  by  iNfajor  Thomas 
W.  Hall,  concluded  as  follows : 

"  Few  persons,  comparatively,  to-day  trouble  themselves  with  the  details 
or  the  merits  of  the  strip  of  Roman  factions,  but  the  austere  unbending  figure 
of  Cato  occupies  for  all  time  a  niche  in  the  Pantheon  of  the  world's  greatest 
men.  To  Jefferson  Davis,  firm  and  unyielding  to  the  last,  bound  submis- 
sively to  the  just  ;decrees  of  Providence,  but  bending  to  no  censure  or  opin- 
ion of  man,  we  may  apply  with  equal  truth  and  appositeness  Lucan's 
famous  line  :  '  Victrix  causa  dels  ^j/acw//,  sed  victa  Catoni.' 

"  It  is  especially  appropriate  that  Mar5danders  should  unite  in  a  public 
tribute  to  the  memorj^  of  Mr.  Davis,  for  to  all  Marylanders  who  espoused 
the  Confederate  cause,  and  thereby  made  then-selves  exiles  from  their 
homes,  Mr.  Davis  was  ever  particularly  sympathetic  and  kind,  and  they 
should  mourn  him  not  only  as  their  leader,  but  as  their  friend." 

At  the  Confederate  reunion  and  banquet  held  in  Baltimore,  January  20th, 
Lieutenant  "Winfleld  Peters,  recording  secretary  of  the  Confederate  Society, 
hadin  his  annual  reporta  graceful  record  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Davis  (who  was 
an  honorary  member  of  the  Society)  and  an  eloquent  tribute  to  his  memory. 

At  the  banquet  Hon.  T.  R.  Stockdale,  member  of  Congress  from  Missis- 
sippi, responded  to  the  toast,  "Jefferson  Davis,  Statesman,  Patriot,  Hero,"  in 
an  eloquent  and  appropriate  speech  which  we  had  wished  to  publish  in 
full. 

The  Southern  students  of  Johns  Hopkins  University,  the  Webster  Lit- 
erary Society  of  the  Western  IMaryland  College,  the  lady  visitors  of  the 
Maryland  Line  Confederate  Home,  and  other  towns  and  organizations 
throughout  the  State  took  suitable  action  and  paid  fitting  tribute  to  his 
memo/y  and  worth. 

NORTH  Carolina's  tribute. 

In  no  State  were  the  tributes  more  general  or  more  feeling  than  in  the 
"  Old  North  State,"  and  in  his  proclamation  and  his  speech  at  New  Orleans 
which  we  have  already  given,  Governor  Fowle  but  voiced  the  sentiments  of 
his  people. 


DIdCUSSING  MILITAKi  lUAiiii-iio  VViXH  MISS  WINNIE. 


Bit  THE  DA  VIS  MEMOHIAL  VOL  VME. 

In  Raleigh  immediately  on  the  announcement  of  the  sad  event  the  bells 
were  tolled,  flags  were  lowered  to  half  mast,  public  offices  were  closed, 
houses  were  draped,  the  Mayor,  and  the  Governor  issued  their  proc!amat:ons, 
and  a  mass  meeting  was  called  for  that  night  at  Metropolitan  hall. 

Governor  Fowle,  Colonel  Fuller,  Captain  S.  A.Ashe,  Colonel  Kenan.  'Mc. 
Henry  Keith,  Mr.  C.  M.  Busbec,  Mr.  J.  G.  Batchelor,  Rev.  Dr.  C.  Durham, 
and  Mr.  George  H.  Snow  made  brief  but  earnest  and  effective  speeches,  and 
suitable  resolutions  were  adopted. 

Governor  Fowle  sent  the  following  telegram  in  response  to  a  request  of 
the  New  York  World: 

"  Jefferson  Davis  was  loved  by  Stonewall  Jackson  and  Robert  E.  Lee.  This 
is  proof  that  he  was  brave,  just,  honest,  faithful  and  competent.  In  my 
opinion,  no  other  man  could  have  discharged  the  duties  of  President  cJ 
the  Confederacy  as  successfully  as  he  did.  He  dies  with  the  esteem,  respe*^" 
and  affection  of  the  entire  South. 

"  Daniel  G.  Fowle." 

On  "  Memorial  Day"  business  generally  was  suspended,  the  Confederatf 
Veterans,  and  local  military  turned  out,  and  an  immense  audience  gathereo 
in  a  meeting  where  Rev.  Dr.  J.  TV.  Carter,  Rev.  Dr.  C.  Durham,  Rev.  W.  M. 
Clark,  Rev.  L.  L.  Nash,  and  Rev.  J.  H.  Cordon  conducted  the  services,  and 
Rev.  Dr.  John  S.  "Watkins  pronounced  an  able  and  eloquent  eulogy  which 
we  should  be  glad  to  print. 

The  News  and  Observer  of  Raleigh  thus  announced  the  observance  of 
Memorial  Day  all  over  the  State : 

"The  State  exchanges  show  that  union  memorial  services  were  held  on 
Wednesday  at  almost  every  citj',  town,  village,  and  hamlet  in  the  Old  North 
State. 

"  Following  are  the  names  of  the  orators  at  a  number  of  points  where 
memorial  services  were  held : 

"At  Asheville  Col.  J.  M.  Ray  presided.  Addresses  were  made  by  Rev. Dr. 
J.  L.  Carroll,  Rev.  Dr.  W.  S.  P.  Bryan,  Rev.  Father  White,  Rev.  Dr.  W.  A. 
Nelson,  Rev.  Dr.  G.  C.  Rankin. 

"A  large  meeting  was  held  at  Durham,  and  places  of  business  were  closed. 
Addresses  were  made  by  Rev.  Dr.  Yates,  Rev.  J.  L.  White,  Rev.  H.  T.  Dar- 
nall.  Rev.  T.  M.  N.  George,  Col.  R.  F.  Webb,  Mr.  James  Southgate,  Capt.  T. 
L.  Peay,  C.  B.  Green,  Rev.  C.  A.  Woodson,  J.  B.  Whitaker,  Jr.,  (who  also 
read  a  letter  received  by  him  from  IMr.  Davis,)  and  Mr.  J.  S.  Carr. 

"At  Winston  a  large  and  interesting  meeting  was  held  and  several 
addresses  were  made.  The  orator  of  the  occasion  was  Rev.  E.  P.  Davis, 
pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Addresses  were  also  made  by  Rev.  T. 
H.  Pegram,  Rev.  W.  E.  Swain,  Rev.  M.  C.  Fields,  Rev.  Ira  Erwin,  and  Hon. 
C.  B.  Watson. 

"An  elaborate  programme,  consisting  of  music,  adoption  of  resolutions, 
etc.,  was  carried  out  at  Charlotte.    Hon.  H.  C.  Jones  was  chairman.    Ad- 


NORTH  CAROLINA'S  TRTBVTR.  ^43 

dresses  were  made  by  Col.  Jones,  Capt.  A.  Burwell,  Col.  ■\V.y.i.iin  Julmston. 
Capt.  R.  P.  Waring,  and  Col.  John  E.  Brown. 

"At  Hickory  resolutions  were  passed  and  addresses  were  delivered  by 
Messrs.  J.  F.  Murrill,  F.  L.  Cline,  and  Rev.  James  A.  Weston. 

"At  Greensboro'  there  was  an  elaborate  demonstration.  Minute  guns 
were  fired  by  the  Guilford  Grays  and  the  Continental  Guard.  At  the  mass- 
meeting  Hon.  James  T.  Morehead  presided,  and  addresses  were  made  by 
Hon.  D.  F.  Caldwell,  Mayor  Forbis,  Judge  J.  A.  Gilmer,  Col.  James  E.  Boyd, 
Mr.  Scott,  of  Rockingham,  and  Judge  Graves. 

"At  Wilmington  there  was  a  large  mass-meeting.  Col.  John  D.  Taylor 
presided.  Eloquent  and  feeling  addresses  were  delivered  by  Hon.  George 
Davis,  ex-Attorney-General  of  the  Confederate  States ;  ex-Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor Stedman,  Hon.  A.  M.  Waddell,  Col.  John  D.  Taylor,  Rev.  Dr.  T.  H. 
Pritchard,  and  Rev.  W.  3.  Creasy. 

"At  New  Berne  a  largely  attended  meeting  was  held.  Hon.  John  S.  Long, 
the  orator  of  the  occasion,  delivered  a  superb  address. 

"A  large  meeting  was  held  at  Oxford,  at  which  Dr.  B.  F.  Dixon  preached 
an  eloquent  sermon.  Remarks  were  also  made  by  Judge  J.  J.  Davis,  who 
■was  present. 

"At  Weldon  a  funeral  eulogy  was  delivered  by  Robert  Ransom,  Esq.,  and 
a  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  W.  J.  Smith. 

"  IMeetings  were  also  held  at  Franklinton  and  other  points  in  the  State." 

There  was  suitable  observance  of  the  day  also  at  Rockingham,  where  Rev. 
Dr.  Wood  preached  the  sermon ;  Henderson,  where  the  address  was  made  by 
Mr.  W.  R.  Henry;  Kingston, where  the  speakers  were  Mr.  George  Rountree, 
Rev.  Israel  Harding,  Rev,  J.  B.  Harrell,  Rev.  C.  L.  Arnold,  Mr.  John  F. 
Wooten,  Rev.  W.  S.  Boone,  Dr.  H.  D.  Harper,  ]Mr.  J.  Q.  Jackson,  and  Rev. 
N.  A  Hooker ;  Wilson,  Fayetteville,  Concord,  Bingham  School,  and  many 
other  points  in  the  grand  Old  State  which  followed  Mr.  Davis  so  nobly 
during  the  war,  and  has  been  ever  ready  to  honor  him  since. 

SOUTH  Carolina's  tribute. 

Two  hundred  pages  would  not  sutfice  to  report  in  full  the  tribute  of  the 
"Palmetto  State;"  and  yet  we  are  forced  to  compress  it  within  the  limits  of 
a  few  pages. 

We  have  given  the  proclamation  of  Governor  Richardson. 

The  Legislature  adopted  the  following  which  was  offered  in  the  House  by 
Hon.  J.  C.Haskell: 

Resolved,  by  the  House  of  Representatives  of  South  Carolina,  the  Senate 
concurring,  That  this  General  Assembly  has  heard  with  profound  sorrow  of 
the  death  of  the  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis;  thiit  in  the  death  of  Mr.  Davis,  the 
South  has  lost  its  most  distinguished  citizen,  and  the  country  one  of  the 
ablest  and  purest  statesmen  it  has  ever  had,  whose  life,  character  and  ser< 


644  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLVMB. 

vices,  should  ever  be  held  iu  loving  remembrance  by  the  people  of  the 
whole  country  and  especially  by  those  of  the  South, 

"  That  the  president  of  the  Senate  and  speaker  of  the  House  be  requested 
to  communicate  immediately  to  the  family  of  Mr.  Davis  this  expression 
ol  the  profound  sorrow  and  sympathy  of  the  people  of  South  Carolina, 
and  that  in  token  of  our  respect  the  flags  of  the  capitol  and  all  the  State 
buildings  be  placed  at  half-mast  during  the  present  session  of  the  General 
Assembly. 

"  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions,  suitably  engrossed,  and  signed  by  the 
president  of  the  Senate  and  speaker-of  th-e  House  of  Representatives  be 
sent  to  the  family  of  Mr,  Davis. 

*'  That  as  afurthermarkof  respect  this  General  Assembly  do  now  adjourn." 

It  was  ordered  farther  that  a  committee  of  five — Hon,  Robert  R.  Hemphill 
and  Hon.  Jeremiah  Smith  from  the  Senate,  and  Messrs.  John  C.  Haskell, 
I^aac  G.  McKissick,  and  A.  F.  O'Brien  from  the  House  accompany  the  Gov- 
ernor to  the  funeral  in  New  Orleans. 

Among  other  admirable  speeches  on  the  resolutions,  Col.  I.  G,  McKissick, 
who  gallantly  2-ode  with  Jeb.  Stuart  and  Wade  Hampton  and  Fitz  Lee  in 
Virginia,  said: 

"Mr.  Speaker  : 

"This  General  Assembly  does  well  to  express  its  sense  of  bereave- 
ment in  the  death  of  Jefferson  Davis.  Great  in  council,  great  in  battle, 
great  as  the  leader  of  his  people,  great  in  the  clanking  chains  of  the  dun- 
geon, and  still  great  in  the  cold  arms  of  death.  Sir,  I  endorse  all  that  has 
been  so  eloquently  and  so  touchingly  said  in  honor  of  our  fallen  chief.  He 
is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth,  and  the  grand  and  glorious  principles  for  which 
he  suffered  and  endured  so  much  are  as  immortal  as  himself.  May  the  God 
he  so  devoutly  worshiped  smile  upon  his  wddow  and  child  and  upon  his 
weeping  people.  Sir,  we  can  never  surrender  the  principles  for  which  Lee 
and  Jackson  died.  Let  us  wrap  the  honored  remains  of  our  dead  chief  in 
the  stars  and  bare.  It  will  be  a  glorious  winding  sheet,  I  could  ask  no 
prouder  honor  than  that  it  might  some  day  be  mine." 

It  w'as  to  be  expected  that  battle-scarred,  heroic,  glorious  old  Charleston 
would  pay  worthy  tribute  to  our  dead  President,  and  accordingly  we  have 
before'  us  a  pamphlet  of  seventy-nine  pages — all  of  which  we  should  be 
glad  to  insert— containing  "A  Tribute  of  Respect  Offered  by  the  Citizens  of 
Charleston,"  and  even  that  does  not  contain  all  that  was  appropriately  said 
and  done. 

As  soon  as  the  news  reached  Charleston  the  Mayor  issued  the  following 
proclamation: 

"  To  the  Citizens  of  Charleston: 

"  It  is  my  painful  duty  to  announce  to  you  the  death  of  our  great  fel- 
low-citizen, Jefferson  Davis,  ex-President  of  the  Southern  Confederacy. 


SOUTH  CAROLINA'S  TRIBUTE.  645 

The  sad  intelligence  of  his  passing  away  has  come  with  true  sorrow  to  the 
heart  of  a  people  in  whose  midst  he  spent  his  life,  to  whose  service,  as 
soldier,  statesman,  and  chieftain,  he  gave  all  that  was  in  life  to  give.  Closely 
identilied  with  the  brightest  hopes  and  bitterest  trials  of  the  South,  as  a 
representative  of  her  cause,  he  was  ever  faithful  and  steadfast,  even  in  mar- 
tyrdom, and  now  in  full  years,  in  the  reverence  and  affection  of  the  people 
of  the  South,  he  has  passed  away  in  honor,  even  as  in  honor  long  since 
passed  away  forever,  the  cause  he  led. 

"  It  becomes  us  to  join  with  his  and  our  Southern  comrades  to  pay  our 
affectionate  tribute  to  the  greatness  of  his  mind  and  hearty  his  high  charac- 
ter, his  devotion  and  sacrifice  for  principle,  his  unsullied  and  pure  life,  that 
will  ever  be  cherished  in  the  memory  of  the  South  and  by  all  good  and 
true  men  everywhere. 

"  His  funeral  services  are  announced  to  be  held  in  the  city  of  New  Orleans 
on  Wednesday  next,  the  11th  instant,  and  on  the  same  day  there  will  be 
held  a  memorial  service  in  this  city.  This  day  of  mourning  will  be  held  in 
Charleston,  and  all  the  offices  of  the  municipality  will  be  closed.  The  flag 
of  the  city  will  be  at  half-mast  and  the  City  Hall  will  be  draped  in  mourn- 
ing for  thirty  days. 

"  I  request  that  all  places  of  business  be  closed  in  observance  of  the  day, 
and  I  earnestly  invite  my  fellow-citizens  to  attend  the  memorial  services  to 
be  held  on  that  day. 

"  Given  under  my  hand  and  the  seal  of  the  city  of  Charleston,  this  6th 
day  of  December,  A.  D.,  1889. 

"  George  D.  Bryan,  Mayor. 

"Attest:    W.  W.  Simons, 

"Clerk  of  City  Council" 

Then  followed  meetings  of  the  City  Council,  the  Confederate  Survivors' 
Association,  the  general  committees,  &c.,  at  all  of  which  suitable  action  was 
taken  and  arrangements  made  fur  the  proper  observance  of  "  Memorial 
Day,''  December  11th. 

This  was  a  day  long  to  be  remembered  in  Charleston.  There  was  a  gen- 
eral suspension  of  business,  the  firing  of  minute  guns,  an  outpouring  of  tlie 
masses  of  people,  the  draping  of  houses  and  halls,  the  tolling  of  bells,  and 
ether  demonstrations  that  showed  that  the  great  heart  of  Charleston  was 
beating  in  unison  with  the  general  grief. 

Col  Zimmerman  Davis,  president  of  tne  Survivors'  Association  and  chair- 
man of  the  Jeflerson  Davis  Memorial  Committee,  called  the  meeting  to 
order  in  a  brief  but  feeling  and  appropriate  address,  and  called  Mayor 
George  D.  Bryan  to  the  chair. 

A  long  list  of  vice-presidents  and  secretaries  was  nominated  and  elected, 
and  RcV.  John  Johnson  (Mayor  Johnson,  the  skilful  and  heroic  engineer  of 
Sumter,)  led  in  a  fervent  and  appropriate  prayer. 


646  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Eev.  Di  R.  N.  Wells  recited  with  fin?  effect  Father  Ryan's  exquisite  poem, 
"The  Conquered  Banner.'' 

The  venerable  ex-Governor  A.  G.  Magrath  presented  a  preamble  and  reso- 
lutions of  rare  beauty  and  appropriateness,  and  they  were  seconded  in  a 
speech  of  ability,  eloquence,  and  power  by  Major  T.  G.  Barker,  who  was  on 
the  staff  ot  Gen.  Wade  Hampton  during  the  war. 

Then  lollowed  speeches  of  more  than  ordmary  merit  by  Gen.  B.  H.  Rut- 
ledge,  Eev.  Dr.  W.  T.  Thompson,  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church ;  Gen. 
Edward  McCrady,  Rev.  R.  C.  Holland,  of  the  Lutheran  Church;  Col.  Henry 
E.  Young,  and  Mr.  J.  P.  K.  Bryan. 

Right  Rev.  H.  P.  Northrop,  Catholic  Bishop,  pronounced  the  benediction, 
and  the  whole  occasion  was  one  of  thrilling  interest. 

In  Columbia  the  day  was  observed  with  proper  services,  A  mass-meeting 
was  held  in  the  State  Capitol,  at  which  Rev.  Dr.  J.  L.  Giradeau  opened  with 
prayer,  and  eloquent  addresses  were  made  by  Lieutenant-Governor  Mauldin, 
ex-Governor  Gen.  Johnson  Haygood,  Gen.  John  Bratton,  Judge  A.  C.  Has- 
kell, and  Gen.  John  D.  Kennedy. 

There  was  also  a  mass-meeting  of  citizens  at  the  Opera  House,  presided 
over  by  Mayor  Joh"  T.  Rhett,  and  at  which  were  appropriate  and  effective 
speeches  by  Col.  R.  AV.  Shand,  Dr.  A.  N.  Talley,  Col.  J.  P.  Thomas,  Mr. 
Andrew  Crawford,  and  Gen.  Leroy  F.  Youmans. 

AtBlackville,  Camden,  Georgetown,  Chester,  Walterboro,  Darlington,  Beau- 
fort, Winnsboro,  Florence,  Orangeburg,  Sumter,  Greenwood,  Willlston, 
Rock  Hill,  Spartanburg,  Due  West,  Gaffney  City,  Laurens,  iFort  Mill,  and 
many  other  points  there  were  meetings,  speeches,  resolutions,  and  other 
proper  observances  of  the  day. 

At  Greenville  there  was  a  large  meeting  in  the  Opera  House,  and  able 
and  eloquent  speeches  by  Colonel  J.  L.  Orr,  the  venerable  Rev.  Dr.  J.  C. 
Furman,  Colonel  J.  A.  Hoyt,  and  Rev.  J.  A.  Clifton. 

At  Newberry  there  was  a  meeting  at  which  addresses  of  more  than  ordi- 
nary beauty,  appropriateness,  and  power  were  made  by  Dr.  James  Mcintosh, 
Mr.  J.  F.  J.  Caldwell,  Rev.  E.  P.  McClintock,  and  Rev.  Dr.  J.  S.  Cozby. 

Indeed  from  the  mountains  to  the  seaboard  .'there  was  grief  in  every 
home,  and  a  loving  tribute  from  loyal  South  Carolina  hearts. 

)  Tennessee's  tribute. 

The  "  Volunteer  State,"  true  to  its  traditions,  its  memories,  and  its  prin- 
ciples, brought  general  and  loving  tribute  to  our  great  chieftain,  and  it  is 
an  especial  grief  to  us  that  the  printers  warn  us  that  we  can  now  barely 
allude  to  what  we  had  purposed  publishing  in  full. 

Memphis,  besides  her  general  sympathies,  had  once  been  the  home  of  Mr. 
Davis,  and  her  tribute  was  both  full  and  warm.  We  are  indebted  to  our 
friend  Captain  C.  AV.  Frazer,  president  of  the  Confederate  Historical  Asso- 
ciation, for  a  compilation  of  editorials  in  the  papers,  the  action  of  Confed- 


TENNESSEE'S  TRTBUTE.  647 

erate  Veterans,  citizens,  exchanges,  the  military,  Mexican  "Veterans,  schools 
and  other  organizations  of  IMemphis  which  we  should  be  glad  to  publish 
and  which  would  make  probably  forty  pages  of  this  volume.  "We  can  only 
say  here  that  appropriate  resolutions  were  passed  by  the  Confederate  His- 
torical Association,  the  Commercial  Exchange,  the  City  Council,  and  other 
organizations.  Memorial  Day  there  were  services  in  the  Catholic  and 
Episcopal  Churches,  and  a  union  service  in  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church  (the  one  that  General  Bedford  Forrest  was  so  largely  instrumental 
in  building  and  where  he  held  his  membership  at  the  time  of  his  death), 
all  ")f  the  services  being  largely  attend.  The  sermon  at  the  Lutheran  Church 
was  preached  by  Rev.  Eugene  Daniel. 

The  military  companies  of  the  city.  Confederate  veterans,  and  citizens 
generally  formed  a  procession  which  marched  to  the  Theatre  where  thera 
was  a  packed  house.  Colonel  C.  W.  Frazer  called  the  meeting  to  order  and 
welcomed  the  crowd  in  a  brief  and  appropriate  speech.  Rev.  N.  M.  Woods  led 
in  a  fervent  and  appropriate  prayer.  Judge  J.  W.  Clapp,  an  old  personal 
friend  of  Mr.  Davis,  was  orator  of  the  day  and  pronounced  a  fitting  and 
eloquent  eulogy  on  his  life  and  character.  Judge  Sneed  then  read  the 
following  sweet  poem  written  for  the  occasion  by  Mrs.  Virginia  Frazer 
Boyle 

"  Oh!  great  heart,  standing  all  alone,  so  long 

Amid  the  storm  and  wreck  of  bitter  yeais. 

Unscathed  by  floods  of  calumny  and  hate, 

Unswerved  by  the  treachery,  unblanched  by  fear, 

Led  like  as  one  before  the  altar  stone. 

To  bleed,  a  living  sacrifice  for  hosts.  , 

"Thy  human  light  has  flickered  in  its  sconce, 
Burned  low,  so  long  within  the  Southland's  love, 
The  darkness  trenches  on  the  twilight  hush. 
And  we,  oh !  heart,  we  weep  that  thou  are  stilled  . 

"  Yea,  we  have  loved,  ah!  God,  so  deeply  well, 
Forgetful  of  the  tension  on  thy  strings- 
Have  held  thee,  till  the  silent  sleet  of  grief 
Wore  through  thy  portals,  down  into  thy  core, 
And  now  we  give  thee  up  Heroic  heart. 
'Tis  hard  to  lay  the  'neath  the  stars  and  bars— ^ 
The  shell  of  all  the  grandest  parts,  the  hand 
Of  nature  ever  fashioned  for  a  man  [ 

"  We  give  thee  up,  arisen  in  the  light, 
Above  the  darkened  glass  of  human  eyes, — 
Yea,  face  to  face,  bound  in  our  love,  we  leave 
Thine  unveiled  fame  to  Truth,  thy  soul  to  God 

— "  Virginia  Frazer  Boyle." 


648  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

Hon  Casey  Young  made  a  few  eloquent  remarks  in  presenting  the  very 
appropriate  and  graceful  resolutions  which  were  adopted. 

After  the  meeting  at  the  Theatre  had  adjourned  the  ladies  did  a  very 
fitting  and  graceful  thing  in  carrying  the  profusion  of  beautiful  flowers  which 
decorated  the  stage  to  deck  the  grave  of  JeflFerson  Davis,  Jr.,  who  died  of 
yellow  fever  in  1878  and  is  buried  in  Elmwood  cemetery. 

At  Nashville  the  news  of  Mr.  Davis's  death  was  received  with  profound 
sorrow  The  IMayor  of  the  city  and  the  Governor  of  the  State  promptly 
issued  their  proclamations,  flags  were  placed  at  half-mast,  buildings  were 
draped,  and  immediate  preparations  were  made  for  the  proper  observance 
of  Memorial  Day. 

Chief  Justice  Turney  adjourned  the  Supreme  Court  for  the  day  in  the 
following  wor Is: 
"  Gentlemen  of  the  Bar  : 

"  We  have  learned  this  morning  of  the  death  of  ex-President  Jefferson 
Davis.  In  view  of  his  long  identification  with  the  country  and  its  welfare, 
his  eminent  services  and  the  faithful  ability  with  which  he  discharged  the 
duties  of  many  exalted  public  stations,  we  think  it  due  to  his  memory  that 
the  court  adjourn  for  the  day." 

Memorial  Day  was  observed  by  a  large  mass-meeting  at  the  State  Capitol 
over  which  General  J.  F.  Wheeless  presided  and  made  a  brief  address  in 
introducing  as  orator  of  the  day  Elder  Lin.  Cave,  who  was  a  former  gallant 
member  of  the  old  13th  Virginia  Infantry.  Mr.  Cave  delivered  an  appro- 
priate and  very  eloquent  address,  which  was  well  received. 

There  was  handsome  tribute  paid  at  Jackson,  Brownsville,  Covington, 
Newbern,  Chattanooga,  Knoxville,  Gallatin,  Morristown,  Clarksville, 
Lynchburg,  Pulaski,  and  other  points. 

At  Knoxville  there  was  a  meeting  at  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  at 
which  the  pastor,  Rev.  Dr.  James  Park,  made  an  appropriate.and  eloquent 
address,  which  only  lack  of  space  prevents  us  from  publishing,  and  was  fol- 
lowed in  a  brief  address  by  Eev.  Carter  Helm  Jones,  pastor  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church. 

Zollicofer  Camp  Confederate  Veterans  also  bad  a  memorial  service  at  the 
Courthouse,  at  which  Eev.  Carter  Helm  Jones  was  the  orator. 

At  Clarksville  the  venerable  Rev.  Dr.  A.  D.  Sears  made  an  eloquent  and 
efi'ective  address,  which  we  deeply  regret  being  unable  to  publish  in  full  as 
we  had  purposed. 

And  at  various  other  points  all  over  the  State  there  was  such  tribute  as 
warm,  loving  hearts  could  bringto  one  so  highly  respected,  honored  and  loved. 

TEXAS's    TRIBUTE. 

AVe  have  already  given  the  proclamation  of  Governor  Eoss  and  spoken  of 
the  tribute  which  Texas  brought  to  New  Orleans,  and  now  we  can  only  cull 
a  few  leaves  from  the  magnificent  wreath  of  prairie  flowers  which  the  great 
"  Empire  State  of  the  South  "  laid  on  his  bier. 


TEXAS'S  TRIBUTE.  649 

QalvestorCs  tribute  was  elaborate  and  beautiful.  Artillery  Hall  was  taste- 
fully decorated,  and  an  immense  crowd  heard  addresses  of  unusual  beauty, 
eloquence,  and  power  from  the  venerable  Gen-  T.  N.  "Waul  (said  to  be  "  the 
oldest  Confederate"  in  Texas),  who  presided  over  the  meeting;  Major  F. 
Charles  Hume,  Hon.  R.  G.  Street,  and  IMajoi  Frank  M.  Spencer.  Miss  Lil- 
lian Wallicr  recited  "  The  Conquered  Banner." 

At  Dallas,  Camp  Sterling  Price  Confederate  Veterans  led  off  in  t.  move- 
ment which  culminated  in  a  very  appropriate  and  earnest  memorial  service. 

At  Austin  there  was  fitting  tribute  and  a  large  mass-meeting,  at  which 
Dr.  R  M.  Swearingen  and  Judge  A.  W.  Terrill,  among  others,  made  eloquent 
addresses. 

At  Fort  "Worth,  Laredo,  El  Paso,  Lamar  county,  Paris,  Floresville,  Waco, 
Bonham,  Cleburne,  Richmond  (where  Judge  M.  J.  Hickey  made  a  striking 
address),  Texarkanna,  "Wichita  Falls,  Comanche,  Llano,  Brownwood,  Gra- 
ham, Dawson,  Beaumont,  Lampasas,  Decatur,  Fort  Davis,  Palestine,  Terrill, 
Houston,  San  Antonio,  Sherman,  Jefferson,  Marshall,  and,  indeed,  at  nearly 
every  city,  town,  and  hamlet  in  the  State  there  were  meetings,  addresses, 
resolutions, and  enthusiastic  and  loving  tributes  to  his  memory. 

"We  cannot  better  close  the  tribute  of  Texas  to  our  great  chief  than  by 
giving  just  here  the  following  poem,  which  Mrs.  Davis  especially  requested 
that  we  should  print : 

"  "We  mourn  for  thee,  great  chieftain, 
But  not  as  the  hopeless  mourn; 
Thou  hast  won  all  life's  guerdon — 
Its  love  and  its  bitter  scorn. 

"Hail  to  thy  glorious  triumph, 

In  the  rest  thy  grave  shall  give  I 
Hail  to  thy  resurrection. 
That  rapturous  life  to  live  1 

"No  breath  nor  shaft  of  malice 
Shall  intrude  upon  the  song, 
Of  subliinest  hallelujah 
From  all  that  welcoming  throng. 

"  No  tyrant  'ban '  can  reach  thee. 
Thy  freed  spirit  to  repress, 
'"Whe»"e  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling 
And  the  weary  are  at  rest.' 

"  Roam,  then,  in  fullest  freedom 
All  among  those  golden  streets, 
And  rest  beneath  the  shade  trees 
When'er  comrade  comrade  meets. 

"  Be  ours  the  priceless  treasure 

Of  thy  memory  to  keep, 

"With  ever  fresh  embalming 

"When  around  thy  grave  we  weep. 

"Dallas,  Texas,  December  10, 1889."  ''—Mrs.  Mary  MUciiel  Braum. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

And  now  we  have  only  a  few  pages  into  which  to  crowd  a 

volume. 

In  addition  to  those  we  have  noted,  Mrs.  Davis  received  reso- 
lutions and  other  tributes  of  respect  from  the  students  of  the 
University  of  Missouri,  Columbia,  Mo.,  Poplar  Bluff,  Mo.,  Mar- 
shall, Mo.,  Moberly,  Mo.,  Troy,  Mo.,  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  Butler 
county,  Mo.,  and  other  towns  in  the  State,  and  also  from  Guth- 
rie, I.  T.,  Socorro,  New  Mexico,  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  and  other 
points. 

While  theie  were  some  utterances  in  Northern  papers  utterly 
unworthy  of  any  one  living  in  this  marvellous  century,  the 
general  tone  of  the  press  at  the  North  was,  if  not  kindly,  at 
least  silent.     We  can  cull  only  a  few  of  their  utterances. 

The  New  York  Examiner,  one  of  the  very  foremost  religious 
papers  in  the  world,  thus  said  editorially : 

"  The  death  of  Jeflferson  Davis  has  called  forth  a  general  expression  of 
lespect  and  sorrow  at  the  South.  This  was  to  be  expected,  and  no  reason- 
able man  at  the  North  will  suspect  the  South  of  disloyalty  to  the  re-estab- 
lished Union  because  they  are  also  loyal  to  the  man  who  was  their  leader  in 
the  '  Lost  Cause.'  There  was  a  time  when  Jefferson  Davis,  as  the  visible 
embodiment  of  the  secession  movement,  was  more  bitterly  hated  in  the 
North  than  any  Southerner,  but  time  has  softened  that  feeling.  That  Mr. 
Davis  was  an  honest,  almost  fanatical,  believer  in  the  sovereignty  of  the 
States  and  in  the  right  of  peaceable  secession  has  long  been  recognized. 
Ilis  personal  integrity  was  never  questioned,  and  those  who  have  known 
him  best  have  always  testified  to  his  personal  virtues.  Let  us  hope  that  in 
his  grave  may  be  buried  the  last  of  the  animosities  that  inspired  our  civil 
war,  and  that  the  new  South  may  join  hands  with  a  new  North  to  make  our 
common  country  not  merely  the  greatest  and  the  richest  in  the  world — she 
is  that  already — but  the  most  free,  enlightened,  and  Christian  of  nations." 

The  New  York  Sun  said : 

"  From  him  came  no  accent  of  self-exculpation  or  self-reproach.    Failure 
had  brought  sorrow,  but  no  compunction.    Amid  irreparable  disaster  Jeffer* 
[650] 


MISCELLANEO  US.  651 

BCP  Davis  was  sustained  by  a  serene  consciousnesa  that  he  had  done  a  man's 
work  according  to  his  lights,  and  that  while  unable  to  command  success  he 
had  striven  to  deserve  it.  Even  among  those  who  looked  upon  him  with 
leas*'  sympathy  it  was  felt  that  this  man  bore  defeat  and  humiliation  in  the 
high  Roman  fashion,  and  that  of  him  in  his  loyalty  to  a  lost  cause  it  might 
be  said,  as  of  another  majestic  soul  at  Utica,  that 

"  '  Victrix  causa  dels  placuit,  sed  victa  Catoni. 
By  the  victor's  side  the  gods  abide,  but  by  the  victim's,  Cato.' " 

The  New  York  Times  said : 

"The  funeral  of  Jefferson  Davis  and  the  observances  that  attended  it 
throughout  the  South  were  very  noteworthy  for  the  spirit  manifested  in 
them.  There  is  no  fear  now  that  any  vindictive  political  action  can  be 
taken  against  the  South,  and  there  is  thus  no  reason  of  prudence  why  any 
Southerner  should  refrain  from  speaking  his  whole  mind.  Yet,  though  cer- 
tainly the  proceedings  denoted  that  the  Southerners  were  not  in  the  least 
ashamed  of  the  course  that  they  or  their  fathers  took  a  quarter  of  a  century 
ago,  there  has  not  been,  that  we  have  observed,  a  single  word  uttered  of 
regret  that  their  cause  was  lost  or  that  the  South  was  coerced  into  rejoining 
the  Union  it  attempted  to  break.  It  would  be  difficult  even  for  any  person 
so  fanatical  as  the  late  Governor  Foraker  or  the  late  Mr.  Halstead  to  find 
fault  with  the  temper  displayed  by  the  people  of  what  were  once  the  Con- 
federate States." 

From  Pomeroy's  Advance  Thought,  New  York : 

"  God  pity  the  narrow-minded  soul  that  squeaks  out  its  dirty  bitterness 
because  the  people  of  the  South  love  the  memory  of  Jefferson  Davis.  He 
was  always  an  honest  man;  a  friend  of  his  people,  regardless  of  the  me- 
naces and  intolerance  of  those  who  were  not  friendly  to  the  South.  He  never 
used  his  principles  as  a  net  in  which  to  catch  fish  for  market.  He  was  not 
the  inventor  of  the  idea  that  man  need  not  love  a  government  that  he 
could  not  love,  or  a  people  who  believe  that  a  political  administration  has 
the  right  to  punish  people  for  not  loving  narrow-minded  persons  who  hate 
them.  Jefferson  Davis  came  into  this  world  as  others  come.  He  loved  the 
people  of  the  State  and  localities  whose  people  he  knew,  and  whose  me- 
naced interests  he  sought  to  protect  Through  all  the  shocks  and  years  of 
shocking  wars  and  all  the  whirlpools  of  hate  over  which  his  life  ran,  he 
hved  out  God's  appointed  time,  as  Daniel  lived  in  the  den  of  lions  that 
growled  but  were  not  permitted  to  lay  claws  upon  him  or  to  touch  him  with 
their  teeth.  Wise  men  are  satisfied  with  the  general  result  of  the  war,  in 
its  liberation  of  slaves  and  its  restoration  of  the  country.  Jefferson  Davis 
did  as  he  thought  to  be  right;  therefore  he  deserves  honor.  He  was  true  to 
his  love  for  all  that  portion  of  the  country,  that  did  not  propose  to  tramp 
with  iron  heel  upon  the  other  portion.    He  believed  that  statesmanship 


65^  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

should  supercede  the  sword,  and  that  reason  is  more  honorable  than  ra^, 
fanaticism  and  passion,  heated  by  desire  to  plunder  and  confiscate.  He  ha.* 
passed  on  to  spirit  life,  and  the  South  loves  his  memory  as  it  should  love  it 
and  as  the  people  of  every  patriotic  country  should  and  ever  will  respect  iu 
"Were  the  people  of  the  South  to  forget  him,  or  fail  to  honor  the  man  who 
endured  so  patiently  for  tbeir  sake,  they  in  turn  would  deserve  none  of 
respect  or  place  in  the  minds  of  men  who  have  manhood. 

"The  cause  which  he  was  chosen  to  lead  failed  through  the  errors  of 
those  who  planted  it,  and  the  numerical  power,  Iput  not  superior  bravery, 
of  those  who  contended  against  it  to  final  victory.  The  North  has  enough 
to  be  proud  of— and  enough  to  be  ashamed  of— without  sullying  its  reputa- 
tion for  greatness  by  hurling  cowardly  venom  upon  an  honest  man  in  his 
memory,  and  upon  those  who  admire  honesty,  bravery  and  devotion  to  best 
friends. 

"Jefferson  Davis  will  live  longer  in  history  and  better,  than  will  any  who 
have  ever  spoken  against  him." 

"  London,  December  6. 

"All  the  evening  papers  have  leaders  on  Jefferson  Davis.  The  Glohf 
recalls  Mr.  Gladstone's  eulogium,  including  the  famous  phrase  so  much  crit- 
icised at  the  time — '  Jefierson  Davis  has  created  a  nation,'  and  adds  that  if 
he  did  not  create  a  nation,  it  was  because  such  a  creation  was  clearly  not 
possible  in  the  conditions  of  affairs.  If  statesmanship,  military  genius  an  I 
devotion  on  the  part  of  a  whole  people  were  sufficient  for  the  foundation  of 
a  State,  a  Slav  eh  olding  republic  would  have  been  established.  The  enter- 
prise failed,  it  concludes,  because  success  in  the  conditions  was  not  difficult, 
but  impossible." 

The  Daily  Telegraph  says :  "Jefferson  Davis  is  gone,  followed  to  the  grave, 
we  doubt  not,  by  more  affection  and  gratitude  on  the  part  of  the  South  and 
a  more  respectful  and  just  appreciation  on  the  jjart  of  the  North  than  were 
always  his  portion  during  life." 

Mrs.  F.  G.  DeFontaine  has  sent  to  the  Neivs  and  Courier  the  following 
extract  from  the  letter  of  a  friend,  a  New  Hampshire  '\\  oman,  a  descendant 
of  John  Quincy  Adams,  and  a  personal  friend  of  Mr.  Davis,  to  whom  he 
sent  his  last  photograph : 

"The  death  of  President  Davis  is  an  event  that  marks  an  epoch  in  heart 
and  Southern  history.  I  am  satisfied  he  is  glorified.  I  would  not  call  him 
back.  He  had  lived  his  life,  won  the  admiration  of  the  world,  and  died 
crowned  with  honors.  Like  Washington,  he  has  enriched  the  annals  of 
history,  and  his  name  and  fame  will  live  until  the  records  of  the  world 
perish.    This  is  immortality," 

One  of  the  most  frankly  sincere  and  admirably  candid  criticisms  from  a 
Northern  standpoint  is  that  of  the  Philadelphia  Times,  edited  by  that  lib- 
err.',  inlr.dc.l  journalist,  Colonel  A.  K.  IMcClure  :  "  That  Mr.  Davis  was  '  one  of 
the  most  conscientious  of  our  public  men,'  that  he  '  never  yielded  in  convic- 


MlSCELLANEOm.  058 

tion  or  bowed  to  expediency,'  that  his  farewell  speech  to  the  United  States 
Senate  was  '  memorable  for  its  dignity  and  pathos,'  that  the  Confederate 
hero  *  will  go  into  history  as  one  of  the  most  sincere,  conscientious  and  self- 
denying  of  all  the  leaders  of  the  Lost  Cause,'  and  finally, that  ho  was  'hon- 
est in  faith,  expression  and  effort  alike  at  Jlontgomery,  where  he  was 
crowned  amidst  the  smiles  and  roses  of  the  sunny  South  ;  in  the  prison  cell 
when  hope  and  friends  seem  to  have  perished,  and  in  the  hour  when  the 
long  halt  was  called  that  summoned  him  to  the  dreamless  couch  of  the 
dead."  All  these  kindly  words  and  more  come  from  one  of  the  leading 
newspapers  in  the  Pennsylvania  city. 

The  New  York  Herald  speaks  of  ^Ir.  Davis  as  "  not  an  original  secession- 
ist. He  cherished  hopes  of  the  Union  long  after  Yancey,  Rhett,  Toombs, 
and  others  had  cast  hesitancy  to  the  winds.  He  was  'proud  to  the  end, 
the  last  of  the  Confederates  to  furl  the  Confederate  flag,  awed  by  no 
reverses,  discouraged  by  no  disaster,  obstinate,  gloomy,  impracticable, 
taking  the  sternest  responsibilities,  offering  no  compromise,  seeking  none ; 
never  veiling  his  cause  by  apologies,  nor  until  the  hour  of  his  death  show- 
ing the  least  regret.' " 

Contrasting  Jefferson  Davis  with  the  war  President  of  the  Union,  the 
Herald  says : 

"In  the  essential  element  of  statesmanship,  Davis  will  be  judged  as  the 
rival  and  parallel  of  Lincoln.  When  the  two  men  came  face  to  face,  as  lead- 
ers of  two  mighty  forces,  bitter  was  Northern  sorrow  that  Providence  had 
given  the  South  so  ripe  and  rare  a  leader  and  the  North  an  uncouth  advo- 
cate from  the  woods." 

And  finally  t\\Q  Herald  concludes  that  "no  one  will  hold  a  more  con- 
spicuous place  than  the  stern,  implacable,  resolute  leader,  whose  cold,  thin 
lips  have  closed  forever  in  that  beloved  South  which  he  served  with  passion 
if  not  with  wisdom." 

CONCLUSION. 

We  know  not  how  better  to  fill  the  space  that  remains  to  us 
than  by  quoting  a  speech  by  a  Soldier-Preacher  and  a  poem  by 
the  "  Poet-Priest "  of  our  Southland — the  first  made  before 
Pickett  Camp  Confederate  Veterans  and  a  large  crowd  on 
''Memorial  Day"  at  the  Second  Baptist  Church,  in  Richmond, 
and  the  second  written  to  be  read  at  the  great  Southern  His- 
torical Society  meeting  in  New  Orleans,  when  Mr.  Davis  was 
present  and  made  an  address  of  rare  eloquence  and  power. 

ADDEESS    OF    REV.    DR.    S.   A.    GOODWIN. 

*  A  great  man  has  fallen.  The  South  is  m  tears.  She  sits  hke  Niobe  over 
her  slaughtered  children,  weeping  at  the  grave  in  which  sleeps  her  patriot 


€54  THE  DaVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

statesman  and  hero.  Her  altars  are  wreathed  with  cypress,  her  flags  are 
drooped,  and  her  drums  are  muffled.  The  soul  of  President  Davis  is  with 
God,  but  his  name  is  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  for  whom  he  suf- 
fered, and  his  deeds  are  forever  wedded  to  immortality. 

"  Mr.  Davis  was  a  patriot.  The  'storm-cradled  nation,'  whose  course  his 
genius  guided  through  all  its  years  of  bitterness  and  blood,  is  a  thing  of  the 
past;  but  the  principles  which  called  it  into  existence  and  placed  him  at 
its  helm  will  live  as  long  as  liberty  has  a  champion  or  patriotism  a  friend. 
Sweet  to  the  memory  of  every  Southern  heart  is  the  proud  consciousness 
that  it  was  no  lust  for  pelf  or  power,  no  love  for  gold  or  gain,  no  strife  for 
coronet  or  crown,  that  induced  him  to  forswear  the  government  under  whose 
segis  he  was  born,  whose  institutions  he  loved,  whose  battles  he  fought,  and 
upon  whose  escutcheon  he  had  shed  a  new  and  richer  lustre ;  but  fidelity  to 
principles  bequeathed  him  by  his  fathers,  and  a  deathless  devotion  to  the 
State  whose  interests  he  had  sworn  to  protect.  The  gigantic  struggle  which 
he  guided,  and  for  whose  origin  he  was  hunted  and  hounded,  and  for  whose 
disastrous  end  the  ignorant  and  the  selfish,  even  among  his  own  people, 
have  held  him  alone  blameworthy,  had  to  come.  He  was  simply  one  of 
the  great  factors  in  the  mighty  movement;  but  he  did  not  set  in  motion  the 
war.  The  reason  for  it  were  written  on  the  first  slave  ship  that  crossed  the 
Atlantic ;  they  are  found  in  the  history  of  the  colonies  ;  in  the  climate,  the 
soil,  the  productions,  and  the  genius  of  the  people,  and  in  the  very  forma- 
tion of  the  compact  that  constituted  the  union  of  the  States.  To  deny  that 
the  States  in  adopting  the  Constitution  reserved  to  themselves  certain  rights, 
is  to  betray  the  most  palpable  ignorance  of  the  whole  history  of  the  govern- 
ment. Virginia  ratified  the  compact  with  hesitating  pen  in  one  hand, 
whilst  with  the  other  she  held  the  Bill  of  Rights,  in  which  she  refused  to 
delegate  to  the  general  government  the  privilege  of  controlling  her  own 
institutions  and  of  enacting  her  own  laws.  The  right  of  the  State  to  con- 
trol her  own  institutions  and  to  frame  her  own  laws  was  one  of  the  fun- 
damental principles  of  the  American  Constitution.  The  object  of  the 
compact  was  for  mutual  protection,  and  not  the  interference  oi  one  State 
with  the  local  laws  or  individual  institutions  of  another.  Of  the  rightness 
or  the  wrongness  of  State  sovereignty  it  is  now  needless  to  speak.  The 
arbitrament  of  the  sword  has  settled  that  question,  and  thrown  the  insti- 
tution of  slavery  forever  behind  us.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  Mr.  Davis,  in 
common  with  Jefi'erson,  Calhoun,  and  many  other  statesmen,  believed  in 
the  right  of  secession,  and  in  his  senatorial  speeches,  and  in  his  'Rise  and 
Fall  of  the  Confederate  Government,'  he  has  given  reasons  for  his  belief  in 
arguments  that  are  overpowering,  and  with  logic  that  is  irresistible.  When, 
therefore,  the  sacred  compact  was  denounced  by  the  fanatical  partisans  of 
the  North  is  '  a  covenant  with  death  and  a  league  with  hell,'  and  instead 
of  being  used  for  the  protection  of  all  of  the  States,  was  perverted  into  an 
instrument  for  the  oppression  of  those  of  the  South,  Mr.  Davis,  in  com' 


MISCELLA  NEO  US.  655 

mon  with  many  of  the  wisest  and  most  patriotic  men  of  the  South,  advised 
withdrawal  from  the  Union,  and  the  formation  of  the  Confederate  Govern- 
ment. lUit  lie  did  not  do  this  until  he  had  exhausted  every  argument  in 
favor  of  the  Constitution  as  originally  adopted,  and  had  tried  every  honora- 
ble means  of  reconciliation.  The  South  sought  nothing  but  the  protection 
of  her  property,  and  the  rights  of  her  citizens.  She  wanted  no  war  She 
wished  to  depart  in  peace.  She  was  moved  by  the  same  spirit  that  actuated 
Washington  and  Jefierson,  Hancock  and  Adams,  and  all  the  other  found- 
ers of  the  Republic  when  they  threw  off  the  yoke  of  British  oppression, 
and  rallied  the  lovers  of  freedom  in  defence  of  '  their  altars  and  their  fires.' 
The  British  Government  denounced  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence as  rebels,  and  stigmatized  Washington  as  a  traitor.  The  United 
States  government  denounced  the  founders  of  the  Confederate  States 
as  rebels,  stigmatized  Davis  as  a  traitor,  and  raised  an  immense  army 
to  put  down  the  rebellion.  Only  those  who  are  blinded  by  passion  and 
preverted  by  prejudice  can  fail  to  see  the  analogous  causes  that  called 
into  existence  the  two  governments.  The  success  of  the  first  is  the  admira- 
tion of  the  world ;  the  defeat  of  the  second  is  stigmatized  as  rebellion. 

"  '  Rebellion  I  foul  dishonoring  word. 

Whose  wrongful  blight  so  oft  hath  stained 
The  holiest  cause  that  tongue  or  sword 
Of  mortals  ever  lost  or  gained. 

"  '  How  many  a  spirit  born  to  bless 

Hath  sunk  beneath  that  withering  name, 
Whom  but  a  day's — an  hour's  success 
Had  wafted  to  eternal  fame.' 

"The  patriots  who  gave  their  lives  for  the  independence  of  the  colonie 
are  lauded  as  martyrs  ;  but  the  heroes  who  died  for  the  independence  of 
the  States  are  stigmatized  as  rebels.    But  no  slander  can  sully  their  glory, 
no  vituperation  can  stain  their  patriotism. 

"  We  need  not  turn  to  Marathon  nor  Thermopylae  to  find  warriors  who 
have  wreathed  their  brows  with  unfading  chaplets,  nor  search  the  storied 
archives  of  Spartan  valor  for  names  that  were  not  born  to  die.  We  need 
not  rifle  the  mausoleums  of  Athens,  nor  decipher  the  moss-grown  ceno. 
taphs  of  Rome  to  find  the  names  of  those  who  carved  their  way  to  glory 
through  the  fiery  track  of  war,  and  went  up  from  battle  and  burning  to 
their  homes  among  the  stars.  In  all  the  galaxy  of  fame  there  is  no  brighter 
^Constellation  than  that  of  the  'Heroes  of  the  Lost  Cause.'  Poland  was 
wiped  from  the  roll  of  nations  by  the  iron  hand  of  despotism  ;  but  freedom 
did  not  die  with  Kosciusko.  Emmett  died  upon  the  scaffold  ;  but  his  name 
is  enshrined  in  the  hearts  and  woven  in  the  songs  of  all  true  Irishmen. 
When  the  last  of  the  Gracchi  expired  he  flung  dust  towards   Heaven,  and 


eSO  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

from  that  dust  Marius  sprang— Marius  less  for  having  conquered  the  Cimbri 
than  for  having  destroyed  in  Rome  the  despotism  of  the  nobility.  And 
from  the  blood  of  those  Southern  braves,  wherever  shed,  there  shall  spring 
the  preservers  of  Liberty,  and  the  avengers  of  wrong.  No  ;  these  men  were 
not  traitors.  That  cannot  be  treason  for  which  the  mothers  of  the  South 
starved  and  suffered,  and  sent  forth  their  sons  to  sleep  in  nameless  graves, 
or  to  be  brought  home  upon  their  shields.  No ;  that  cause  can  never  be 
made  odious  for  which  Stuart,  and  Jackson,  and  Johnston  died,  and  of 
which  Robert  E.  Lee  and  Jefferson  Davis  were  the  exemplars  and  the  expo- 
nents. No  ;  when  slander  has  exhausted  its  venom,  and  prejudice  has  spent 
its  force,  and  impartial  history  has  pronounced  its  verdict,  the  name  of 
Jefferson  Davis  will  shine  in  equal  splendor  with  those  of  Madison  and 
Monroe,  Calhoun  and  Clay.  Not  a  spot  obscures  his  crest,  not  a  sprig  has 
been  torn  from  his  chaplet ;  though  now  'cursed  and  scorned'  his  name  will 
be  wafted  in  every  breeze  that  sighs  through  his  native  pines,  and  b3  heard 
in  every  slumbering  echo  that  awakes  to  the  call  of  freedom. 

"Mr.  Davis  was  a  statesman.  The  consummate  skill  with  which  he 
guided  the  infant  Confederacy  through  the  storms  that  rocked  it,  and  the 
hidden  foes  that  threatened  it,  is  not  eclipsed  by  the  prudence  of  Pitt  nor 
the  policy  of  Napoleon.  Few  fully  appreciate  the  difficulties  that  environed 
him.  He  was  placed  at  the  head  of  a  people,  thrown  without  preparation 
into  the  midst  of  the  mightiest  conflict  of  the  ages;  they  were  without 
government,  without  soldiers,  without  arms,  without  any  of  the  munitions 
of  war ;  but  his  genius  supplied  every  difficulty  and  met  every  want.  He 
created,  as  if  by  magic,  the  most  splendid  army  that  ever  marched  to  vic- 
tory, and  supplied  it  with  the  ablest  commanders  of  the  age.  That  his 
hand  sometimes  slipped  in  guiding  the  intricate  and  delicate  machinery  of 
a  government  throbbing  with  passion  and  heated  with  war,  no  one  will 
deny ;  he  would  have  been  more  than  man  not  to  have  made  mistakes. 
The  Confederacy  did  not  fail  for  lack  of  statesmanship  in  him,  but  because 
success  in  the  conditions  which  environed  it  was  not  possible.  But  the 
calmness  which  he  displayed  in  the  midst  of  storm,  the  tirmness  which  he 
evinced  in  the  midst  of  trepidation,  and  the  immense  resources  which  he 
supplied  in  the  midst  of  destitution,  combined  with  his  comprehensive 
knowledge  of  government,  demonstrate  him  to  be  a  statesman  in  whom  was 
combined  the  acuteness  of  Pitt  and  the  executive  power  of  Napoleon.  Per- 
haps no  man  of  this  age  possesses  his  genius,  combined  with  his  versatility 
of  talent.  His  knowledge  of  government  was  profound,  and  his  acquaint- 
ance with  science  and  literature  comprehensive  and  accurate.  As  a  chaste 
and  elegant  writer  of  English  he  was  without  a  rival  among  American  states- 
men. As  an  orator  he  was  eloquent,  logical,  passionate,  powerful.  Time 
forbids  me  to  speak  of  Mr.  Davis  as  a  soldier.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  his  gal- 
lant charge  at  Monterey,  his  skill  and  strategy  at  Buena  Vista,  the  improve- 


'      MISCELLANEO  US.  657 

ments  which  he  effected  in  the  organization  and  equipment  of  the  army 
while  Secretary  of  "War — all  demonstrate  that  he  was  a  soldier  of  the  highest 
type.  Trained  for  the  army,  he  desired  to  serve  the  South  in  the  field,  but 
the  people  with  one  accord  called  him  to  the  Presidency  of  the  Confed- 
eracy, and  he  yielded  his  wishes  to  the  judgment  of  his  compatriots.  Had 
it  been  otherwise  he  might  have  won  a  name  that  would  have  shone  with 
equal  splendor  with  that  of  Lee,  or  else  have  hidden  it  from  the  shafts  of 
calumny  in  the  grave  like  Stuart  and  Jackson  and  Johnston.  But  the 
crowning  glory  of  Mr.  Davis  was  his  stainless  purity  and  sincere  piety. 

"As  President  of  the  Confederacy  he  has  been  denounced  as  a  traitor  and 
villified  as  a  murderer ;  but  no  man  has  dared  to  charge  him  with  malfea- 
sance in  office  or  prostituting  the  public  service  to  private  aims.  During  all 
the  carnage  of  war,  the  trials  of  public  life,  the  suspicion  of  friends,  and  the 
persecution  of  enemies,  he  maintained  a  stainless  character  and  an  unspot- 
ted name.  A  devout  student  of  God's  Word,  a  man  of  prayer  and  a  firm 
believer  in  Christ,  and  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  Gospel,  his  piety  shed  its 
lustre  over  his  home,  softened  the  rigors  of  his  prison  life,  sustained  him 
under  the  reverses  of  fortune,  sweetened  the  sorrows  of  old  age,  lighted  him 
through  the  dark  valley  and  shadow  of  death,  and  finally  placed  upon  his 
head  a  crown  that  will  shine  with  ever  increasing  splendor  when  the  skies 
of  worldly  glory  have  darkened  and  her  scrolls  have  gone  to  decay.  The 
heart  that  offered  its  blood  for  our  liberty  has  ceased  to  beat ;  the  lips  that 
were  eloquent  in  our  defense  are  silent ;  the  arms  that  did  battle  for  us  are 
motionless;  but  his  deeds,  embalming  all  that  is  heroic  in  action,  pure  in 
patriotism,  lovely  in  virtue,  and  sublime  in  Christianity,  '  will  smell  swee^^^ 
and  blossom  in  the  dust.' 

"  'Nothing  need  cover  his  high  fame  but  heaven, 
No  pyramid  set  off  his  memories, 
But  the  eternal  substance  of  his  greatness — 
To  which  I  leave  him.' " 


THE  MEN  WHO  WORE  THE  GRAY. 
£1/  Father  Ityan. 
Tell  it  as  you  may. 
It  never  can  be  told ; 
Sing  it  as  you  will, 
It  never  can  be  sung. 

The  story  of  the  glory 

Of  the  men  who  wore  the  gray, 

In  their  graves  so  still ; 


858  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

The  story  of  the  living, 
Unforgiven,  yet  forgiving, 
The  victims  still  of  hate. 
Who  have  forever  clung, 
With  a  love  that  will  not  die, 
To  the  memories  of  our  past ; 
Who  are  patient  and  who  wait, 
True  and  faitlaful  to  the  last, 
For  the  Easter  morning  sky, 
When  wrong's  rock  shall  roll  away 
From  the  sepulcher  of  right, 
And  the  right  shall  rise  again. 
In  the  brightness  of  a  light 
That  shall  never  fade  away, 
Triumphantly  and  glorious 
To  teach  once  more  to  men, 
The  conquered  are  victorious. 
The  conquered  in  the  strife 
Through  their  children  yet  shall  reign 
By  their  patience  and  their  peace ; 
They  shall  fill  the  people's  life, 
From  right's  ever  virgin  vein, 
With  the  purest  love  that  flows, 
Made  the  purer  by  our  woes, 
Without  stain  and  without  cease, 
Till  the  children  of  our  foes 
Shall  be  proud  and  glad  to  claim 
And  to  write  upon  one  scroll 
Every  dear  and  deathless  name 
On  our  Southern  muster  roll. 

Ah!  we  rebels  met  defeat 
On  the  gory  battle-field, 
And  we  flung  our  muskets  down, 
When  our  bonnie  flag  was  furled 
But  our  right  did  but  retreat 
With  pure  honor  for  her  shield, 
And  with  justice  for  her  crown. 
From  the  forces  of  the  world. 
(For  against  us  thousands  came. 
Money  bought  from  every  clime, 
But  we  stood  against  them  all. 
For  the  honor  of  our  name. 


UlSCELLANEO  US.  o69 

Till  the  fated  day  of  time 
Came  but  to  crown  our  fall 
With  a  fadeless  wreath  cf  fame.) 

Retreat  into  that  shrine, 

Back  of  every  Southern  breast, 

Your  hearts,  my  friends,  and  mine, 

Where  right  finds  a  holy  rest 

On  the  altar-stairs  that  slope 

Toward  the  throne  where  reigns  the  just 

Where  we  still  live  on  and  hope, 

And  in  Him  we  place  our  trust. 

Is  it  treason  thus  to  sing? 

Why,  then  treason  let  it  be, 

Must  we  stoop  to  fawn  on  wrong? 

To  the  idol  must  we  bring 

Our  heart's  idolatry 

And  the  fealty  of  song? 

No,  no  ;  the  past  is  past, 

May  it  never  come  again-. 

May  no  drum  or  bugle's  blast 

Summon  warriors  to  the  plain! 

The  battle's  play  is  o'er, 

We  staked  our  all  and  lost  ; 

The  red  wild  waves  that  tossed 

The  Southland's  sacred  bark 

Are  sleeping  on  the  shore. 

She  went  down  in  the  dark : 

Is  it  wrong  for  us  to  listen 

To  the  waves  that  stiL  will  glisten 

Where  the  wreck  we  loved  went  down ' 

Is  it  wrong  to  watch  the  willows 

That  are  drooping  o'er  the  grave? 

Is  it  wrong  to  love  our  brave  ? 

Are  our  memories  a  treason 
To  the  powers  we  must  obey  ? 
Can  the  victors  give  a  reason 
Why  the  men  who  wore  the  gray 
From  our  hearts  should  march  away 
And  should  pass  from  us  forever 
Like  the  dreamings  of  the  night  ? 


eeO  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME 

Do  they  want  the  South  to  sever 

The  blood-consecrated  ties, 

The  sacred  bonds  of  sorrow, 

That  will  link  our  last  to-morrow 

To  our  glory -hallowed  past  ? 

Ahl  pure  hearts  cry,  Never!  never! 

For  each  soldier  heart  that  dies 

In  our  memories  still  is  beating; 

Though  the  years  are  fast  retreating, 

We  remember  to  the  last. 

Nay,  tell  it  as  you  may, 

It  never  can  be  told, 

And  sing  it  as  you  will. 

It  never  can  be  sung — 

The  story  of  the  glory 

Of  our  bonnie,  bonnie  flag, 
"When  its  battle-wings  were  waving 
In  the  valley — on  the  crag — 
On  the  billows  of  the  ocean. 
By  the  river's  winding  shore. 

The  years  have  passed  away, 

But,  ah  I  'tis  flinging  still 

Around  our  hearts  to-day 

The  self-same  spell  it  flung 

O'er  our  soldiers  in  their  gray. 

Back  of  lines  that  never  quailed. 

Far  from  battle-banners  flash. 

There  were  lips  that  moaned  and  walled 

And  how  many  eyes  that  wept; 

Tho'  they  heard  no  cannon  crash 

Nor  the  terror-storms  of  lead. 

And  they  sighed  the  while  they  slept 

"When  they  dreamed  their  own  were  dead, 

Mothers,  wives  and  children  fair. 

Back  of  all  the  ranks  that  fought, 

Knelt  adown  in  holy  prayer, 

And  in  Heaven  only  sought 

In  their  infinite  despair, 

Gleams  of  hope  to  light  the  night, 

Darkly  gathering  o'er  the  right. 

Can  a  singer  gather  up 
In  the  chalices  of  song, 


MISCELLANEOUS.  661 

Half  the  tears  that  filled  the  cup 
Of  the  griefs  of  such  a  throng  ? 

Crimson  drops  on  battle  plain, 
Thro'  four  sorrow-laden  years — 
Were  they  richer  than  the  rain, 
That  baptised  our  homes  with  tears? 
Nay ;  no  singer  yet  has  sung 
Song  to  tell  how  hearts  had  bled, 
Where,  our  soldiers'  homes  among, 
Wept  eyes  waiting  for  the  dead. 

And  one— statuesque  and  still — 
(Is  he  in  the  hall  to-night. 
Who  yet  suffers  for  the  right?) 
Faithful  chieftain  of  our  cause — 
Like  an  ocean  rock  his  will 
Let  the  wild  waves  rise  and  fall ; 
What  cares  it,  and  what  cares  he? 
Tho'  still  banned  by  freedom's  laws, 
In  his  home  besides  the  sea, 
Lives  he  freest  of  the  free. 
Ah !  they  chained  his  feeble  frame, 
But  they  could  not  chain  his  thought. 
Nor  the  right  for  which  he  fought; 
And  they  could  not  chain  his  fame. 
But  they  riveted  his  name 
To  the  hearts  of  you  and  me. 
Aged  chieftain!  Southern  truth! 
In  you  keeps  immortal  youth  I 
You,  our  truest  and  our  best. 
What  care  you  for  any  ban  ? 
Are  you  not  the  noblest  guest 
In  the  hearts  of  each  and  all  ? 
For  us  all  you  wore  wrong's  chain. 
And  each  heart  is  now  the  hall 
Where  you  have  the  right  to  reign. 

Leader  of  the  men  in  gray  t 

Chieftain — truest  of  the  true — 

Write  our  story  as  you  may,  ^ 

And  ]jou  did ;  but  even  you, 

With  your  pen,  could  never  write 


662  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Half  the  story  of  our  land. 
Yours  the  heart  and  yours  the  hand- 
Sentinels  of  Southern  right ; 
Yours  the  brave,  strong  eloquence — 
Your  true  words  our  last  defense ; 
Warrior-words — but  even  they 
Failed  as  failed  our  men  in  Gray ; 
Fail  to  tell  the  story  grand 
Of  our  cause  and  of  our  land. 

— Father  A.  J.  Ryan, 

ADd  now  our  task  is  done,  and  Tve  send  forth  the  "Davis 
Memorial  Volume"  in  the  hope  that  it  may  prove  in  some  hxim- 
ble  degiee  worthy  of  its  great  theme.  . 


ADDRESS 

OF 

HON.  J.  A.  P.  CAMPBELL, 

Before  the  Mississippi  Legislature, 

Senators,  Representatives  and  Fellow- Citizens  : 

This  occasion  is  well  calculated  to  recall  the  scenes  of  1860-'61,  vraen 
the  mutterings  of  the  storm  that  soon  burst  in  fury  upon  this  before  peace- 
ful land  were  heard  distinctly,  and  engaged  the  attention  of  all.  It  is 
appropriate  to  recur  ito  that  period,  with  its  spirit  of  patriotism,  which 
inspired  our  people,  and  directed  their  course. 

The  world  has  done  justice  to  Southern  valor,  which  was  so  conspicuou^A, 
and  struck  such  sturdy  blows  on  many  fields  as  to  compel  recognition  and 
acknowledgment,  but  justice  has  not  been  done  to  the  motives  of  the 
Southern  people;  and  it  devolves  on  us,  who  were  actors  in  it,  to  vindicate 
the  truth  of  their  history,  and  transmit  to  posterity  a  correct  account  of  the 
impelling  cause  of  their  action.  The  charge  of  wantonly  and  causelessly 
severing  their  relations  to  the  Union  is  without  foundation.  Nor  is  it  true, 
as  often  asserted,  and  by  many  believed,  that  the  masses  were  hurried  to 
disunion,  against  their  judgment  and  wishes,  and  without  their  consent,  by 
aspiring  leaders.  Their  action  must  be  considered  from  their  standpoint 
then;  and  thus  tried,  it  will  appear  that  the  movement  sprang  from  the 
spirit  of  self-preservation,  and  a  sublime  determination  to  maintain  their 
birth-right  of  freedom.  The  impelling  cause  of  secession  was  far  more  jus- 
tifiable than  that  which  led  to  the  Eevolution  of  1776 ;  and  the  different 
result  in  the  two  cases  cannot  change  the  dictates  of  justice  or  the  decision 
of  impartial  history  with  reference  to  it. 

The  culmination  of  sectional  feeling  among  the  people  of  the  North,  aris- 
ing from  different  institutions,  interests  and  habits,  in  the  election  of  a 
president  of  the  United  States,  produced  widespread  alarm  among  the  peo- 
ple of  the  South,  as  to  continued  security  for  their  institutions  and  interests 
in  the  Union;  and  they  were  confronted  with  the  momentous  question: 
"What  should  be  done  for  the  safety  of  great  interests  thought  to  be  imperiled  ? 
It  was  not  a  spirit  of  ambition  which  aroused  the  society,  but  a  sense  of  dan- 
ger, and  desire  to  avert  it.  The  conviction  was  general — well  nigh  universal 
— among  the  people  of  the  South,  that  the  Union  was  about  to  be  perverted 
to  their  injury.  Eight  or  wrong,  this  was  the  prevalent  belief  All  classes 
shared  the  apprehension.    There  is  no  instance  in  history  of  nearer  approach. 

[663] 


664  TRE  DAYIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

to  unanimity  among  a  people  than  characterized  our  movement  in  secession. 
The  universality  of  the  apprehension  is  a  strong  indication  of  ground  for 
such  general  concern.  While  there  were  differences  of  opinion,  as  to  what 
was  wise  to  be  done,  the  conviction  was  general,  that  something  should  be, 
and  the  prevalent  sentioaent  was  that  safety  should  be  sought  by  prompt 
withdrawal  from  a  Union  about  to  be  used  for  the  destruction  of  our  rights. 
In  this  there  was  nothing  unnatural  or  unprecedented.  We  had  a  conspic- 
uous example  of  it  in  the  course  of  our  forefathers,  which  inspired  us,  and 
many  other  precedents  in  history  for  our  course.  There  was  no  objection  to 
the  constitution  or  the  Union  it  formed,  and  there  was  no  hostility  to  the 
people  of  the  North.  Born  to  an  inheritance  of  freedom,  proud  of  the  glories 
of  the  Union  of  which  the  South  was  so  large  and  important  a  part,  and  to 
which  her  people  had  contributed  so  much,  her  sons  revered  the  constitu^ 
tion,  and  the  Union  it  formed,  and  shrank  from  the  thought  of  bein^ 
deprived  of  either. 

So  strong  was  this  feeling  among  Southern  men,  that  the  idea  of  dissolving 
the  Union  had  to  be  endured  for  a  long  time  before  it  was  finally  embraced, 
even  afterthought  of  danger  to  the  rights  of  the  South  was  associated  with 
its  continuance.  It  was  not  until  the  conviction  was  forced  upon  the  people, 
that  the  union  of  states  created  by  the  united  efforts  of  the  people  of  South 
and  North  was  about  to  be  employed  against  the  South,  that  a  determina- 
tion was  formed,  to  abandon  the  Union  and  save  the  constitution. 

We  proved  our  devotion  to  the  constitution  by  substantially  adopting  it 
for  the  Confederate  States,  and  showed  our  love  of  the  Union  by  forming 
one  just  like  that  we  left. 

The  long  delay  to  dissolve  the  Union  vindicates  the  South  from  the  charge 
of  hostility  to  it.  A  reverential  devotion  to  the  constitution  and  the  Union 
caused  the  people  of  the  South  to  cling  to  the  Union  with  a  delay  fatal  to 
the  success  of  their  final  action.  It  was  in  the  power  of  the  South,  for  a 
long  time  dominant  in  the  Union,  to  have  established  a  separate  govern- 
ment, at  any  time  during  many  years  after,  it  became  apparent  that  this 
alternative  would  probably  be  forced  upon  it.  The  wonder  is,  that  this 
was  not  done,  when  the  South  was  the  more  (powerful  section,  or  when  it 
was  discovered  that  power  was  about  to  be  transferred  to  the  North. 

The  unprepared  condition  of  the  Southern  States  is  conclusive  evidence  of 
the  absence  of  premeditation  to  destroy  the  Union.  No  preparation  what- 
ever had  been  made.  Disunion  and  war  were  a  surprise  to  our  people,  and 
were  accepted  only  as  a  last  resort  to  avert  what  was  regarded  as  a  greater 
evil. 

The  attachment  of  the  South  to  the  Union  of  the  constitution  was  very 
strong  and  is  easily  explained. 

The  Declaration  of  Independence  was  the  production  of  Southern  intellect 
and  statesmanship.  Southern  valor  and  skill  did  much  to  maintain  it.  The 
constitution  of  the  United  States  was  largely  the  work  of  Southern  states- 


MISCELLANEO  US.  665 

men,  and  Southern  men  had  shaped  and  moulded  and  administered  the  gov- 
ernment under  it  for  many  years.  It  was  only  when  they  conceived  that 
they  had  to  choose  between  the  Union  and  the  constitution,  that  they  re- 
solved to  abandon  the  former  and  preserve  the  latter. 

Whether  our  people  acted  wisely  or  unwisely,  and  were  culpable  for  lov- 
ing the  Union  so  well,  and  clinging  to  it  so  long,  must  remain  unanswered 
forever. 

Looking  back  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  North  should  have  been  unwil- 
ling to  part  with  the  South.  It  was  natural  for  the  citizens  of  each  section 
to  adhere  to  it,  I  have  never  blamed  a  Northern  man  for  supporting  his 
country,  in  the  contest  which  followed ;  and  before  the  bar  of  justice  and 
fiiirness,  I  demand  the  same  recognition  for  myself  and  countrymen  in  sup- 
porting ours.  We  are  all  to  a  large  extent  creatures  of  education  and  victims 
of  circumstances.  This  is  our  native  earth,  and  rights  to  which  we  were 
born  were  in  jeopardy.  Men  "love  their  land;  because  it  is  their  own  :  " 
"  And  scorn  to  give  aught  other  reason  why. "  The  seceding  states  united  in 
a  confederacy,  which  maintained  for  four  years  an  organized  constitutional 
government ;  put  great  armies  in  the  field  ;  secured  belligerent  rights,  and 
though  not  formally  recognized,  had  an  existence  among  the  nations  of  the 
earth.  It  claimed  our  allegiance,  and  was  entitled  to  it.  Our  cause  was  just, 
and  to-day  lam  not  ashamed  of  it.  It  can  never  become  odious  in  the  bright 
light  of  truth.  In  it  were  centered  the  hopes  of  millions,  through  the  vary- 
ing fortunes  of  war  for  four  years,  and  after  multiplied  thousands  of  heroic 
deeds  and  deaths,  the  Sun  of  the  Confederacy  set  forever,  in  gloom  and 
darkness ;  its  bright  banner,  all  covered  with  glory  and  renown,  was  furled 
on  land  and  sea ;  its  gallant  soldiers  and  sailors  dispersed ;  its  music  hushed ; 
its  votaries  smitten  with  sadness  and  grief.  But  though  the  cause  was  lost, 
it  was  not  dishonored.  Its  existence,  though  brief,  was  dazzling  with  bril- 
liancy. Its  arms,  though  finally  unsuccessful,  filled  the  world  with  their  re- 
nown. Its  struggle,  though  a  failure,  showed  the  world  how  a  brave  people 
could  dare,  and  suffer,  and  die  to  maintain  their  rights,  as  they  understood 
them,  and  recreant  to  their  high  trust  will  this  people  be,  if  the  time  shall 
ever  come,  when  Jefierson  Davis  and  his  compatriots  shall  be  forgotten. 

One  of  the  chief  actors,  the  most  colossal  figure  in  these  stirring  times,  was 
Jefferson  Davis,  the  illustrious  deceased,  the  grand  historic  character,  whose 
life  is  commemorated  on  this  occasion,  and  by  these  proceedings.  When 
the  Confederate  government  had  been  resolved  on,  all  eyes  were  turned  to 
the  great  Mississippian,  as  pre-eminently  fitted  to  be  the  President  of  the 
Confederate  States,  and  commander-in-chief  of  its  army  and  navy,  and  he 
was  unanimously  elected  to  that  position  by  the  Provisional  Congress  assem- 
bled at  Montgomery.  In  a  calm,  on  placid  seas,  anybody  may  steer  or  com- 
mand the  vessel,  but  when  a  storm  comes,  the  highest  skill  and  courage  are 
required.  It  is  a  just  tribute  to  the  distinguished  dead  that,  in  the  supreme 
moment,  when  patriotism  ruled,  and  naught  was  thought  of  hut  the  honor 


666  THE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

and  glory  of  the  infant  government  about  to  begin  its  struggle  for  existence, 
and  a  great  statesman  and  soldier  was  desired  to  be  placed  at  the  head  of 
aifairs,  no  other  name  than  his  was  mentioned  for  the  great  trust.  Called  to 
be  the  chief  executive  of  the  Confederate  States,  this  great  man  addressed 
himself  earnestly  to  the  arduous  task  imposed  upon  him,  which  was  no  less 
than  to  mould  a  government,  in  its  civil  and  military  departments,  while 
struggling  by  arms  to  maintain  its  very  existence.  He  was  subsequently 
elected  by  the  unanimous  votes  of  the  electoral  college  the  permanent  Presi- 
dent of  the  Confederate  States. 

How  grandly  he  bore  the  burden  placed  upon  him  during  the  four  years 
or  more  of  the  existence  of  the  Confederacy,  is  familiar  history.  The  end 
came,  and  found  him  at  his  post  of  duty,  which  he  had  never  deserted  dur- 
ing all  the  weary  period  of  the  contest.  The  Confederate  cause  was  lost, 
and  its  illustrious  leader  became  a  prisoner  of  State,  falsely  charged  by 
irresponsible  popular  clamor  at  the  North,  with  complicity  in  the  assassina- 
tion of  President  Lincoln,  and  afterwards  falsely  charged  by  indictment 
with  treason  against  the  United  States.  Every  effort  was  made  to  humili- 
ate and  degrade  him.  His  wrists  were  manacled  by  handcuffs  within  the 
massive  walls  of  Fortress  Monroe  I  Shame  and  eternal  execration  on  the 
authors  of  such  unparalleled  meanness!  Proudly  and  defiantly  he  bore 
himself  under  all  that  he  was  forced  to  endure,  and  showed  the  world  the 
impossibility  of  storming  the  fortress  of  a  resolute  and  intrepid  soul.  All 
efforts  to  humiliate  or  degrade  the  noble  prisoner  failed.  His  splendid 
character  shone  forth  conspicuously  from  the  narrow  confines  of  his  dark 
prison  cell.  His  brave  spirit  never  quailed.  No  murmur  escaped  him.  He 
scorned  to  sue  for  mercy.  He  demanded  to  be  tried  on  the  charge  against 
him.  For  two  years  he  was  deprived  of  his  liberty  and  his  rights,  bearing 
himself  with  composure  and  dignity  befitting  his  high  character  and  dis- 
tinguished career.  The  decency  of  the  North  soon  revolted  at  the  base 
charge  of  complicity  in  the  death  of  Lincoln,  and  the  prosecution  for  trea- 
son was  abandoned.  He  was  allowed  his  liberty,  but  was  ever  pursued  with 
malevolent  rancor  by  a  large  portion  of  the  people  of  the  North,  and  was 
constantly  the  object  of  misrepresentation  and  abuse  by  those  incapable  of 
rising  to  a  just  conception  of  his  great  character,  and  the  justiflableness  of 
his  course. 

Probably,  no  man  was  ever  more  misrepresented  or  misunderstood. 

He  did  not  desire  or  seelc  to  promote  disunion.  He  was  animated  by  the  common 
sentiment  of  the  Southern  people.  He  loved  the  Union  he  had  been  taught 
to  revere ;  in  which  he  had  grown  to  honor  and  distinction,  and  for  which 
he  had  periled  his  life  and  shed  his  blood. 

He  had  more  to  lose  by  disunion  than  any  Southern  man.  He  was, 
undoubtedly,  the  foremost  man  in  the  South,  among  our  public  men.  He 
was  a  United  States  Senator,  and  had  been  Secretary  of  War,  and  with  a 
brilliant  reputation  as  a  civilian  and  soldier,  had  fair  prospects  for  the 
Presidency  of  the  United  States.    He  was  slow  to  accept  secession. 


MISCELLANEOUS,  667 

The  oft-repeated  charge  that  he  desired  a  disruption  of  the  Union  that  he  miglit 
he  chief  of  a  Southern  Confederacy,  is  utterly  untrue.  It  is  well-known  by 
those  possessed  of  his  views,  that  he  did  not  wish  to  be  President  of  the 
Confederate  States. 

The  impxdation  that  he  did  not  have  a  just  conception  of  the  contest,  or  that 
he  thought  a  small  number  of  troops  or  a  short  time  sufficient  to  end  the 
struggle  by  arms,  is  a  groundless  calumny,  born  of  total  ignorance  or  reck- 
less hate  or  mendacity.  He,  more  than  any  of  our  public  men,  anticipated 
a  long  and  serious  struggle.  His  knowledge  of  the  peojile  of  the  North  con- 
vinced him  that  the  South  would  not  be  allowed  to  depart  in  peace,  and  his 
knowledge  of  wax*,  and  the  preparation  and  resources  of  the  North,  and  the 
comparative  want  of  both  in  the  South,  impressed  him  with  the  seriousness 
of  the  step  taken  by  the  seceding  States.  Time  and  again  have  I  heard 
him,  in  this  hall,  warn  his  hearers  that  the  time  might  come  when  a  sense 
of  danger  would  impel  the  Southern  States  to  assume  control  of  their  own 
aflairs  in  a  separate  government,  and  that  wisdom  dictated  timely  prepara- 
tion for  the  possible  conflict.  His  view  was  that  secession  meant  war^  and 
that  the  States  of  the  South  should  prepare  for  the  possible  contingency,  both 
because  such  preparation  would  go  far  to  avert  the  necessity,  by  deterring 
from  that  course  which  would  produce  disruption ;  and,  if  the  States  should 
be  driven  at  last  to  secession,  they  would  be  ready  to  maintain  their  atti- 
tude. After  the  formation  of  the  Confederacy  it  was  the  declared  opinion 
of  President  Davis,  in  the  early  part  of  the  spring  of  1861,  that  the  war 
would  be  serious,  and  that  Virginia  would  be  the  chief  seat  of  war.  I  heard 
him  make  this  declaration  in  ]\Iontgomery,  in  May,  1861,  and  a  distinguished 
friend  of  mine,  now  living,  was  present  and  heard  it. 

His  career  was  illustrious,  and  challenges  admiration.  He  was  a  great  man. 
He  was  the  grandest  man  I  ever  knew,  and  I  hope  I  will  be  pardoned  for 
saying  that  I  have  had  opportunities  for  measuring  him  by  some  of  the 
greatest  of  earth.  Tried  often,  and  on  great  occasions,  he  always  proved 
equal  to  the  demand  upon  him,  and  thus  sustained  the  real  test  of  greatness. 
Bred  to  arms,  he  achieved  distinction  as  a  soldier.  Betaking  himself  to  civil 
life,  and  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  a  cotton  planter,  in  1835,  after  seven  years  of 
service  in  the  regular  army,  he  was  eminently  successful,  and  in  a  few  years 
liad  $10,000  to  his  credit  with  his  cotton  factor  in  New  Orleans,  as  shown  by 
the  testimony  of  that  factor,  now  on  file  in  this  capitol.  Embarking  in  pub- 
lic life,  after  nine  years  of  seclusion  on  his  plantation  in  "Warren  county,  he 
surprised  the  country  by  the  extent  and  variety  of  his  knowledge,  and  his 
wonderful  power  as  a  public  speaker,  in  a  land  abounding  in  orators,  and 
was  very  soon  a  recognized  leader.  Elected  to  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States,  as  a  representative,  he  maintained  his  reputation.  Chosen  colonel  of 
the  First  Mississippi  regiment  for  service  in  the  war  with  Mexico,  he  has- 
tened to  the  scene  of  hostilities,  and  won  great  renown  as  a  brave  and  skill- 
ful officer.  Returning  on  crutches,  rendered  necessary  by  a  serious  wound 
received  in  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  he  was  offered  a  brigadier-general'a 


6G8  TRE  DAVIS  MEMORIAL  VOLUME.^ 

commission  by  President  Polk,  and  declined  it,  because  be  beld  to  tbe"view 
tbat  all  commissions  should  come  from  the  States  in  such  cases. 

Arriving  at  home  with  his  splendid  military  reputation  added  to  his  civic 
virtues,  "  Col.  Davis  "  was  the  pride  of  Mississippi,  in  that  day  of  her  glory  and 
power,  A  vacancy  having  occurred  in  the  Senate,  he  was  appointed  United 
States  Senator  by  Gov.  Brown,  and,  when  the  legislature  met  in  1848,  he 
was,  by  the  vote  of  every  member,  elected  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  in.  the 
United  States  Senate.  Here  he  took  high  rank,  and  was  chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  IMilitary  Affairs.  In  1850  he  was  elected  by  the  Legislature  of 
Mississippi  to  a  full  term  of  six  years  in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States.  In 
1851,  at  the  call  of  the  State's  rights  party  in  ]Mississippi,  which  had  been 
beaten  and  discomfited  at  the  election  held  in  August  for  delegates  to  a  con- 
stitutional convention,  so  that  its  candidate  for  governor  retired  from  the 
ticket,  Col.  Davis  resigned  his  seat  in  the  Senate  and  made  the  race  as  a 
candidate  for  governor.  He  was  then  for  a  time  in  private  life,  and  in  1853 
was  called  to  the  cabinet  of  President  Pierce,  and  made  Secretary  of  War, 
and  contributed  much  to  the  efliciency  of  the  army  of  the  United  States. 
At  the  close  of  his  four  years'  service  as  Secretary  of  "War,  he  again  entered 
the  Senate,  in  pursuance  of  an  election  bythe  Legislature  of  Mississippi,  and 
again  was  made  chairman  of  the  Senate  Committee  on  Military  Affairs,  for 
which  he  was  pre-eminently  fitted,  according  to  the  judgment  of  his  fellow 
Senators  and  the  country. 

He  continued  in  the  Senate  taking  a  prominent  part  and  maintaining  his 
well-earned  and  distinguished  reputation  as  a  publicist  and  debater,  and 
was  easily  the  foremost  Senator  from  the  South,  until  he  was  called  away  by 
the  sovereign  voice  of  Mississippi,  spoken  by  a  convention  of  her  people  as- 
sembled in  this  hall,  in  January,  1861.  That  voice  he  never  failed  to  hear  and 
heed.  Sorrowfully  he  turned  his  back  on  the  Senate  of  the  United  States, 
after  a  dignified  and  pathetic  farewell,  and  hastened  to  new  duties  and 
perils.  He  was  made  major-general  of  State  forces,  and  betook  himself 
with  characteristic  promptness  and  zeal  to  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of 
this  position,  and  was  thus  engaged  when  he  was  called  to  the  Presidency 
of  the  Confederate  States. 

He  was  not  a  saint;  he  was  human,  and  doubtless  erred.  He  may  have 
had  faults.  The  sun  has  spots,  but  they  are  invisible,  obscured  by  its  efful- 
gent rays.  So,  his  faults,  whatever  they  may  have  been,  were  eclipsed  by 
his  splendid  ^^rtues.  Through  a  long  and  busy  life,  tried  on  many  theatres, 
and  ever  exposed  to  the  clearest  public  gaze,  he  bore  himself  magnificently, 
illustrating  many  of  the  highest  virtues  that  adorn  human  character.  Bis 
courage  was  sublime. 

I  speak  not  merely  of  the  sort  of  courage  that  enables  one  to  bear  himself 
well  on  the  battle-field.  Most  men  have  that.  But  have  reference  to  that 
high  moral  courage  based  on  truth  and  faith  in  the  right;  that  moral  vir- 
tue, which  sustains  its  possessor  under  all  circumstances  and  prompts  and 


MISCELLA  NEO  VS.  r>r,0 

enables  him  to  follow  his  conviction  of  duty  in  the  face  of  a  frowning  world, 
if  need  be. 

lie  had  a  lofty  contempt  of  everything  low  and  mean.  His  methods 
were  all  direct,  open  and  manly.  He  was  incapable  of  truckling;  he  did 
not  know  how  to  act  the  small  politician.  He  had  faith  in  the  triumph  of 
right.  He  was  governed  by  principle  in  his  actions,  and  depended  on  his 
high  character,  and  public  appreciation  of  it  for  his  success.  His  public 
and  private  life  was  pure;  his  conduct  always  upright.  He  was  always 
truthful,  honorable,  brave,  faithful,  and  consistent  in  maintenance  of  the 
right  as  he  viewed  it. 

A  distinguishing  feature  of  his  character,  and  the  most  prominent  one 
was  his  devotion  to  duty.  Duti/  was  his  inspiration  and  guide.  Where  it 
pointed  he  followed,  whatever  the  sacrifice  or  peril.  He  left  his  pleasant 
seat  in  Congress  to  lead  Mississippians  on  fields  of  carnage,  in  a  foreign  land, 
in  obedience  to  its  behest.  When  severely  wounded  in  battle,  he  remained 
in  command  all  day.  He  resigned  a  full  term  of  six  years  in  the  Senate  of 
the  United  States,  to  be  the  candidate  of  his  party  for  an  office  he  did  not 
desire,  and  in  the  face  of  the  strong  probability  of  defeat.  So,  when  he 
accepted  the  presidency  of  the  Confederate  States,  with  its  exacting  duties 
and  perplexities.  Ko  man  had  a  higher  sense  of  duty.  He  consecrated  his 
life  and  devoted  all  the  energies  of  his  earnest  nature  to  the  service  of  his 
country. 

His  conception  of  public  office  was  that  it  is  a  public  trust — a  place  to  render 
the  very  best  service  he  could — to  do  duty  for  his  country,  and  he  toiled 
assiduously  and  unremittingly  for  this  purpose,  and  with  this  high  resolve 
animating  and  sustaining  him. 

There  was  never  a  more  faithful  public  servant,  and  this  imports  far  more  than 
is  generally  understood ;  for  the  multitude  has  little  conception  of  the  Cor- 
roding care;  the  consuming  anxiety;  the  pressing  and  almost  crushing 
sense  of  responsibility,  and  the  ceaseless  effort  of  him  who  is  entrusted  with 
great  responsibility,  and  is  fit  for  it  and  worthy  of  it.  The  many  throw 
care  aside  when  the  day's  business  is  over,  and  sleep  sweetly  and  soundly, 
knowing  nothing  of  the  perturbed  hours  and  disturbed  rest  of  those  in 
public  positions  of  great  responsibility,  on  whose  sufficiency  and  fidelity 
the  welfare  and  happiness  of  society  largely  depends.  The  many  are  patri- 
otic, undoubtedly,  for  it  is  their  interest  to  be.  There  has  been  and  there 
is  such  a  thing  as  patriotism  as  the  chief  inspiration  to  holding  office. 
There  are  those  who  hold  office  to  serve  their  country,  surprising  as  this 
announcement  may  now  be  regarded  by  many. 

Though  the  multitude  were  reproached  for  following  Christ  for  the 
loaves  and  fishes  of  which  they  had  eaten,  there  were  yet  some  who  sought 
him  from  higher  motives  than  the  loaves  and  fishes.  Though  of  the  ten 
lepers  healed  by  him,  nine  failed  to  return  to  give  him  thanks  that  was  his 
due  and  their  duty,  there  was  one  who  was  mindful  of  his  obligation.  And 
although  the  per  centum  of  those  actuated  by  proper  motives  and  mindful 


ero  THE  DA  VIS  MEMORIAL  VOL  UME. 

of  their  just  obligation  may  still,  as  of  old,  be  small ;  there  are  yet  some 
who  desire  public  office  to  render  service  to  their  country  ;  and  Mr.  Davis 
was  a  conspicuous  example  of  this  small  class  it  may  be,  but  which  cer- 
tainly exists. 

His  consistent  adherenceto  principle  was  strikingly  exhibited  by  his  refusal  of 
a  brigadier-general's  commission  at  the  hands  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  because  he  held  the  view  that  commissions  of  officers  of  the  volun- 
teer forces  should  come  from  the  States  ;  and  during  all  his  administration 
as  President  he  confined  himself  strictly  within  the  constitution  and  laws, 
thus  illustrating  by  example  what  he  had  contended  for. 

His  firmness  was  mistaken  by  many  for  obstinacy,  and  he  was  sometimes 
reproached  for  persistent  adherence  to  his  own  convictions  as  to  the  con- 
duct of  affairs.  Such  was  the  earnestness  of  his  nature,  the  strength  and 
sincerity  of  his  convictions,  the  stability  of  his  character,  and  the  stead- 
fastness of  his  views,  that  he  was  slow  to  yield  to  any  suggested  cliange  in 
that  on  which  he  had  deliberately  resolved. 

To  this  trait  of  his  character  are  we  indebted  for  the  priceless  treasure  we 
possess  in  the  matchless  fame  of  Generals  Lee,  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  and 
Stonewall  Jackson.  When  Lee  accomplished  nothing  in  West  Virginia,  and 
Jackson  as  little  in  his  Romney  expedition  in  the  winter  of  1861,  and 
when  General  A.  S.  Johnston  retreated  from  Bowling  Green,  there  was  great 
outcry  because  of  these  failures,  and  President  Davis  was  urged  to  supersede 
those  officers,  but  he  was  aware  of  the  insuperable  difficulties,  and  sus- 
tained the  officers  named  with  undiminished  confidence  until  they  seve- 
rally vindicated  his  wisdom  and  firmness  in  withstanding  public  clamor, 
and  achieved  enviable  fame  for  themselves  and  the  Confederate  arms,  lie 
lived  and  labored  for  his  country,  and  while  his  strong  individuality  exhi- 
bited itself  in  his  administration  of  his  great  trust,  his  paramount  concern, 
his  absorbing  object — that  which  possessed  and  swayed  and  governed  him — 
was  devotion  to  the  country  whose  faithful  servant  he  was. 

He  had  a  fine  person — a  splendid  bearing  that  commanded  attention  every- 
where.  "  He  was  chief  of  a  thousand  for  graces."  His  attainments  were 
varied  and  extensive.  As  an  orator  he  could  thrill,  and  move  an  assembly 
as  no  other  man  whom  I  ever  heard,  could.  As  a  writer  he  had  few  supe- 
riors, for  a  clear,  iforceful,  and  graceful  expression  of  his  views.  His  State 
papers  are  models  of  style.  His  defense  of  the  Southern  people  in  his  histo- 
ry of  The  Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Confederate  Govermment,  will  stand  forever  un- 
answered and  unanswerable,  as  their  complete  vindication  before  the  im- 
partial tribunal  of  disinterested  posterity. 

The  former  civilization  of  the  South  produced  the  highest  types  of  man- 
hood and  womanhood  the  world  has  ever  seen,  and  Jefferson  Davis  was  one 
of  the  best  specimens  of  that  splendid  period. 

But  he  has  gone  from  us.  He  sleeps  his'  last  sleep.  No  sound  shall  awake 
him  to  glory  again.  While  he  lived  he  filled  the  world  with  his  fame,  and 
'  millions  mourn  his  death.    Death  never  claimed  a  nobler  victim.    When,  a 


MISCELLANEOUS.  0?i 

few  weeks  ago,  hig  death  was  announced,  the  busy  world  paused  to  notice 
and  discuss  tlie  sad  event.  It  was  a  notable  occurrence.  The  grand  charac- 
ter of  tlie  man,  coupled  with  his  representative  character  as  the  illustrious 
chief  and  survivor  of  a  cause  that  had  i^'  illeno;ed  the  re.spect  of  the  world, 
secured  general  attention.  Throughout,  the  South  that  he  loved  so  well,  and 
served  so  faithfully,  and  where  his  great  virtues  were  known,  and  prized 
by  all  capable  of  appreciating  the  highest  qualities  of  manhood,  grief 
was  universal.  No  such  exibition  of  universal  sorrow  was  ever  witnessed  in 
our  land.  Millions  joined  in  doing  honor  to  the  memory  of  this  great  char- 
acter. Peer  of  Washington!  His  fame  is  secure.  Glory  guards  it.  It  will 
grow  brighter  with  the  march  of  time.  Mankind  will  honor  and  pay  tribute 
to  the  high  qualities  he  exhibited  through  his  long  life.  It  is  instinftive  to 
do  so,  when  passion  does  not  sway.  It  is  the  tribute  paid  by  the  spark  of 
divinity  in  the  soul  of  man  to  virtues  that  are  God-like,  because  God-given. 
"Lives  of  great  men  all  remind  us  we  may  make  our  lives  sublime,"  and 
I  would  fail  to  improve  this  occasion,  if  I  did  not  seek  to  impress  on  this 
audience  some  of  the  lessons  taught  by  the  distinguished  career  of  the  illustri- 
ous dead.  Disraeli  said, "  The  secret  of  success  is  constancy  to  purpose. "  The 
wise  man,  long  before,  had  said:  "  Seest  though  a  man  diligent  in  his  busi- 
ness, he  shall  stand  before  kings;  he  shall  shall  not  stand  before  mean  (ob- 
scure) men. "  High  resolve,  with  constancy  and  diligence,  will,  as  a  rule,  surely 
bring  success,  and  these  traits  of  character  were  conspicuously  present  in  all 
the  life  of  Mr.  Davis.  His  was  a  busy  life.  He  had  no  time  for  trifling.  The 
gaiety  and  frivolity  of  life,  and  even  its  ordinary  social  claims,  had  little 
charm  for  him,  for  he  was  chiefly  occupied  with  the  great  concerns  of  life. 
His  character  is  admirable,  in  his  utter  disregard  of  common  methods  of  se- 
curing popular  favor.    He  cared  not  for  the  popularity  that  is  run  after. 

"  He  would  not  flatter  Neptune  for  Iiis  trident, 
Or  Jove  for  's  power  to  thunder." 

He  commanded  respect  because  he  deserved  it.  Whatever  his  hand  found  to 
do,  he  did  it  with  his  might.  In  private  life ;  in  the  army ;  in  the  House  or 
Senate;  as  Secretary  of  AVar ;  as  President  of  the  Confederate  States ;  where- 
ever  he  was  placed,  diligence,  constancy,  seriousness  and  devotion  to  business 
characterized  him.  He  was  always  diligent  and  faithful.  He  did  his  duty, 
and  thus  commanded  respect.  Duty  performed  never  fails  of  its  reward,  in 
some  way.  His  splendid  character  was  superiortothe  accidents  and  failures 
of  life.  Chains  and  a  dungeon  could  not  disgrace  him.  He  verified  the 
distitch, 

"  Honor  and  shame  from  no  condition  rise; 
Act  well  your  part,  there  all  the  honor  lies. " 

He  showed  himself  greater  in  adversity  and  defeat  than  in  the  day  of  his 
power.  He  proved  that ,"  WoHh  makes  the  man, "  and  in  adversity  rose 
above  his  surroundings,  and  reflected  honor  on  human  nature. 

He  was  ambitious,  no  doubt,  but  it  was  to  serve  his  country,  and  he  was 
ever  ready  to  sacrifice  himself  for  it.  He  exhibited  self-denying  patriotism. 
His  life  proves  that  conspicuous  merit  will  secure  attention,  and  obtain  recog- 
nition in  time  of  danger  and  popular  concern.  In  a  rude  age  kings  and 
leaders  w^here  chosen  for  their  stature.  The  man  who  stood  head  and  shoul- 
ders above  his  brethren  was  in  the  line  of  promotion,  and  apt  to  secure  it. 
So,  in  this  age  of  civilization  and  refinement,  when  physical  proportions  are 
less  necessary,  and  therefore  less  influential,  he  who  possesses  intellectual 
and  moral  qualities  which  place  him  above  his  fellow-men,  is  very  apt  to  be 
called  to  fill  high  place.    True  it  is  that 

"  Full  many  a  gem  of  purest  ray  serene.  ' 

The  dark  anfathomed  caves  of  ocean  bear; 

Full  many  a  flower  is  born  to  blush  unseen, 
And  waste  its  sweetness  on  the  desert  air." 


GT2  THE  I)  AVm  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

But  while  there  are  doubtless  men  who  live  and  die  unknown  to  fame 
because  of  want  of  opportunity,  the  man  of  true  merit,  who  aspires  to  popu- 
lar favor,  and  pursues  it  by  proper  methods,  as  he  will,  is  apt  to  secure  the 
prize  he  seeks.  Mr.  Davis's  eminent  ability,  as  displayed  before  a  conven- 
tion, led  to  his  being  brought  before  the  people  as  a  candidate ;  and  each 
place  he  afterward  held  came  to  him  because  of  his  fitness  for  it.  He  wag 
sought  for  high  places  of  trust  and  honor.  He  was  by  nature  and  sense  of 
propriety  incapable  of  office-seeking,  as  sometimes  witnessed. 

He  might  truly  have  declared  : 

"  Exegi  monumentum  sere  perennius." 

He  erected  for  himself  a  monument  more  lasting  than  brass;  but,  if  ever 
a  man  was  deserving  of  a  monumental  pile  commemorative  of  his  virtues 
and  services,  and  expressive  of  a  people's  gratitude,  he  was.  He  gave  his 
life  for  us.  He  was  a  vicarious  suflerer  for  the  whole  South.  He  bared  his 
bosom,  and  received  in  his  person,  as  our  representative,  the  envenomed 
hate  of  the  North.  It  was  on  our  account  he  was  imprisoned.  For  us  he 
wore  manacles!  Because  he  was  our  chief,  chosen  by  us  for  his  exalted 
position,  he  was  reviled,  traduced,  denounced  and  pursued  as  the  chief  of 
malefactors.  Every  venomous  shaft  hurled  at  him  was  aimed  at  us.  He 
was  simply  our  representative,  abused  because  he  was  such.  His  life  was 
part  of  the  history  of  the  Confederate  struggle.  Becaused  he  survived  the 
Confederacy,  and  proudly  maintained  an  unrepentant  attitude,  refusing  to 
fcue  for  pardon  or  seek  relief  from  political  disabilities,  he  continued,  long 
after  the  war  was  over,  to  provoke  the  bitterness  of  large  numbers  of  the 
people  of  the  Northern,  who  never  lost  an  opportunity  assail  him.  The 
injustice  of  this  is  manifest,  for,  if  he  chose  to  remain  under  political  disibili- 
ties  and  asked  no  favor,  none  had  any  just  cause  of  complaint. 

He  was  our  most  conspicuous  representative,  it  is  true,  but  he  was  ani- 
mated and  moved  by  the  common  impulse  of  the  jieople  of  the  South.  He 
was  our  leader  in  a  cause  dear  to  us  all  as  Southern  patriots,  and  was  no 
more  deserving  the  wrath  of  the  victorious  foe  than  the  rest  of  us.  The 
general  love  and  confidence  of  the  Southern  people  respecting  him  seemed 
to  irritate  and  provoke  the  vilifiers  of  the  North  to\\ards  him. 

A  monument  erected  on  massive  f  jundations,  deep  and  broad  and  strong, 
would  represent  his  sturdy  character  built  on  the  sure  foundation  of  truth 
and  right.  Piercing  the  topmost  skies,  it  would  typify  his  lofty  sense  of 
honor  and  duty.  Its  breadth  would  signify  his  growing  fame.  Enduring 
for  ages  it  will  be  only  coeval  with  his  reputation,  and  the  continuing 
influence  of  his  great  example.  Covered  all  over,  thickly  covered,  with 
appropriate  and  inspiring  inscriptions,  inciting  to  lofty  endeavor,  it  will  but 
feebly  express  the  lessons  of  his  great  life. 

But  he  is  gone.    We  ne'er  shall  behold  his  like  again.    His. 

"One  of  the  few,  the  immortal  names, 

That  were  not  born  to  die."    Then, 

"  Let  us  weep  in  our  darkness,  but  weep  not  for  him  I 

Not  for  him,  who  departing,  leaves  millions  in  tears  I 

Not  for  him,  who  has  died" full  of  honor  and  yearsi 

Not  for  him,  who  ascended  fame's  ladder  so  high, 

From  the  round  at  the  top,  he  has  stepped  to  tne  Bky." 


